Why social connection matters.

Humans have an inherent need for social connection. Community is as vital to our well-being as food, water, and shelter. For much of human history, survival depended on mutual support and cooperation. Even today, human biology reflects this: the brain is hardwired to seek closeness with others. In early human societies, individuals depended on their community to meet basic needs, and living alone made survival much harder and more demanding.

Although modern conveniences like food delivery, automation, and digital entertainment have made it easier to live without face-to-face interaction, the deep-rooted need for human connection still persists. Simply put, we need each other.

What is Social Connection?

Social connection refers to the interactions, relationships, roles, and overall sense of belonging to communities and society.3 It is not defined by the number of close relationships, rather it is shaped by various forms of interaction and engagement—or the absence of them.

"Social connection is typically understood through three key components that play a crucial role in overall health and well-being."

• Structure involves the number and types of relationships such as with friends, family, coworkers, or neighbors, as well as the frequency of interactions.

• Function refers to the level of dependence on others to meet emotional, practical, or social needs. Examples could include needs around mentorship or support in a crisis.

• Quality considers how positive, meaningful, and satisfying key relationships and interactions are, as opposed to being negative or unfulfilling. Social inclusion or exclusion can impact the quality of social connectedness.

People can experience a lack of social connection in a variety of ways, which are commonly studied through measures of loneliness and social isolation. While related, these two concepts are distinct. Social isolation refers to an objective lack of social relationships, roles, group involvement, and limited social interaction. In contrast, loneliness is a subjective feeling; it is the emotional discomfort that arises when there is a gap between the social connection someone wants and what they actually experience.

Isolation Trends.

In 2023, the Surgeon General of the United States released an advisory identifying loneliness and isolation as an epidemic, pointing to the widespread health harms of isolation and the healing effects of social connection and community. In recent years, about half of adults in America reported experiencing loneliness. A 2022 Gallup poll found that when people were asked how close they felt to others emotionally, only 39% of adults in the U.S. said that they felt very connected to others.13 In the last 20 years, Americans have become increasingly socially isolated, spending fewer and fewer hours per week connecting with family, friends, or neighbors.

Drivers of Social Connections.

Social connection is shaped by a range of factors across individual, relationship, community, and societal levels. At the individual level, physical and mental health, age, race, gender, socioeconomic status, and personality all influence one’s capacity to connect. Relationship structure, function, and quality also play a key role.

"The community environment matters to social connections."

Access to safe public spaces, transportation, schools, workplaces, and local organizations influence opportunities for interaction. These community assets are shaped by broader societal forces, including public policy, technology, economic conditions, and cultural norms. Social connection is not just a personal responsibility, it is also determined by the conditions in which people live, learn, work, and age.

Risk Factors for Social Isolation and Loneliness

While anyone can experience loneliness or social isolation, certain groups are at higher risk due to overlapping structural and individual vulnerabilities. These groups often face greater barriers to connection or are disproportionately exposed to conditions that reduce opportunities for social engagement.

• Health-related vulnerabilities. Individuals with poor physical or mental health, including those with disabilities or chronic conditions, are more likely to experience social isolation. Health challenges may reduce the ability to participate in social life or create stigmas that discourage others from engaging with them.

• Economic insecurity. People living in poverty or with low incomes often lack access to resources that support connections, such as transportation, digital access, or safe community spaces. For example, 63% of adults earning less than $50,000 per year report feelings of loneliness 10 percentage points higher than those earning more.22

• Living arrangements and caregiving responsibilities. People who live alone, including many older adults and single parents, face fewer daily opportunities for casual social interaction.

• Age. Although the highest rates of social isolation are seen among older adults,23,24 studies also show that young adults report significantly higher rates of loneliness: young adults are nearly twice as likely to feel lonely compared to those over age 65. Alarmingly, rates of loneliness among young adults have risen steadily from 1976 to 2019.25

• Social and cultural marginalization. Individuals from racial and ethnic minority groups, LGBTQ+ populations, rural residents, and those who face discrimination or stigma are often excluded—either implicitly or explicitly—from social, civic, or institutional participation. Experiences of racism, homophobia, or xenophobia can damage trust and reduce willingness or ability to engage socially.26

• Community infrastructure. Communities that do not provide the means for social interaction may reinforce or exacerbate the other risks. For example, communities lacking accessible public spaces, public transportation, or community programs may isolate residents further. Disinvestment in social infrastructure often affects already marginalized populations the most, compounding existing inequalities and reinforcing cycles of disconnection.

Importantly, these risk factors do not mean that certain identities or conditions inherently lead to loneliness or isolation. Rather, they reflect broader social, political, and economic systems that limit opportunities and reinforce disparities in access to connection. The uneven distribution of social capital and systemic barriers disproportionately affect certain groups, hampering their ability to forge meaningful connections and affecting their overall health.

Impacts of Social Connection on Health

The evidence is clear: social connection is a powerful predictor of health, and investing in relationships is essential for a longer, healthier life. Social ties not only enhance emotional well-being but also protect against many physical and mental health conditions.

Longevity

Social connection is a significant predictor of longevity as well as physical, cognitive, and mental health. In contrast, loneliness and social isolation place an individual at a much higher risk for premature death and poor health from a variety of conditions. A 2010 analysis published in PLOS Medicine of data across 148 studies, with an average of 7.5 years of follow-up, suggest

“a 50% increased likelihood of survival as a function of stronger social relations.”

 Loneliness and social isolation increase the risk for premature death by 26% and 29%, respectively.32 In fact, the risks that loneliness and social isolation pose to health are comparable, and in some cases greater, than those of other risk factors. For example, a lack of meaningful social connection can raise the risk of early death to levels comparable with smoking 15 cigarettes per day.33 Social isolation as a predictor of mortality is similar to that of common clinical risk factors, including smoking, obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.

Cardiovascular Disease and Hypertension

The evidence linking social connection to health is strongest for cardiovascular health outcomes. Dozens of studies have found that social isolation and loneliness increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.35,36 Inadequate or low-quality social ties are also linked to a higher likelihood of developing various health conditions, including a 29% greater chance of heart disease and a 32% higher risk of stroke.

These impacts are not limited to older adults. In fact, research has found that social isolation in childhood is associated with increased risk of obesity, high blood pressure, and high blood glucose in adulthood, which are risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Further, heart failure patients who experienced high levels of loneliness faced a 68% greater risk of hospitalization, a 57% higher likelihood of visiting the emergency department, and a 26% increased chance of outpatient visits compared to those reporting low levels of loneliness.

Hypertension (also known as high blood pressure) is one of the leading causes of cardiovascular disease. Multiple studies show that increased social support significantly reduces the likelihood of developing high blood pressure. Even among high-risk groups like Black Americans, strong social support is linked to a 36% lower long-term risk of hypertension.

Consistent involvement in two or more social or community-based groups, emotional and informational support from family, friends, professionals, community organizations, and peer groups, as well as frequent interactions within one’s social network, may enhance the management of hypertension. This includes better adherence to treatment plans and sustained lifestyle changes. Evidence from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP) at the University of Chicago, a longitudinal, population-based study of health and social factors of aging Americans, supports a potential causal link between social connections and reduced hypertension, especially in adults over the age of

Diabetes

Over the past 25 years, studies have shown that a person’s social life plays an important role in both the development and management of diabetes.49 Large studies have found that being socially connected can lower the risk of getting Type-2 diabetes and having complications from it. For example, being socially isolated—such as having little support from others51, living alone as a man52, having low emotional support as a woman53, or not having a partner after age 7054—has been linked to a higher risk of getting Type-2 diabetes.

Having support from family members helps people manage Type-1 and Type-2 diabetes better and improves their health.

People who feel more connected to others often report better health and are better at managing their diabetes.

On the other hand, people with smaller social networks are more likely to be newly diagnosed with Type-2 diabetes or to develop problems related to the disease.

A review of 28 studies showed that support from family and friends was strongly linked to better self-care, especially when it came to checking blood sugar levels. Finally, 2018 research from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a population-based program conducted by the CDC that is designed to assess the health and nutritional status of American adults and children, found that older adults with diabetes who had at least six close friends were less likely to die from any cause.

Infection/Respiratory Illness

Individuals with low levels of social connection may be more susceptible to infections and exhibit weaker immune responses. Studies have shown that loneliness and poor social support are associated with increased risk and severity of illness following exposure to viruses such as the common cold and influenza. In one study, participants exposed to a cold virus were significantly less likely to develop symptoms if they had ties across six or more different types of social relationships, such as being a parent, spouse, friend, family member, co-worker, or member of a group, compared to those with ties to only one to three types.In addition, individuals with weaker social bonds may be more vulnerable to viral infections and respiratory illnesses in general.

Cognitive Function

Social isolation and loneliness place individuals at a greater risk for cognitive decline and dementia.63,64,65 In fact, chronic loneliness and social isolation can increase the risk of developing dementia by approximately 50% in older adults. One study, published in The International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, followed older adults for 12 years and found that those who reported being lonely experienced cognitive decline 20% faster than those who were well-connected socially. Wider social networks and more frequent social engagements with friends and family are associated with better cognitive function.

Mental Health

Social disconnection is further connected to increased rates of mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. Both anxiety and depression are often characterized by withdrawal from social activities. At the same time, isolation and loneliness can predict increased risk for developing depression and anxiety and can worsen symptoms of each.

A systematic review of multiple longitudinal studies, published in Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, found that adults who were lonely often had more than double the odds of developing depression compared to those who were not often lonely.

Social isolation and loneliness have been shown to independently increase the likelihood of depression in older adults.

These findings are consistent with isolation and loneliness in younger people: a 2020 review analyzed 63 studies and found that loneliness and social isolation among children increased the risk of both depression and anxiety. The duration of loneliness was more strongly associated with poor mental health than intensity of loneliness.

Biological Mechanisms

The biology underlying the connection between social relationships and health is largely unknown. However, new research may illuminate some of the biological mechanisms behind social connection: A 2025 study, published in Nature Human Behaviour, found that social connections can enhance immune function and lower the risk of several chronic diseases. Researchers from the University of Cambridge and Fudan University analyzed blood samples from over 42,000 adults and identified 175 proteins linked to social isolation and 26 to loneliness (although, there was substantial overlap, with 85% of the proteins associated with loneliness being shared with social isolation). These proteins are associated with inflammation and immune responses, which are known to contribute to various health issues. Notably, five proteins were found to be directly influenced by loneliness, suggesting a causal relationship. One such protein, adrenomedullin, is linked to stress regulation and lower brain volume, which may increase the risk of early death. The study emphasizes the importance of maintaining social relationships for overall health and longevity.

Social connection plays a central role in shaping health across the lifespan.

Research shows that individuals with meaningful relationships experience lower risks of physical and mental health conditions. Loneliness and social isolation are associated with increased mortality and levels of biological markers linked to inflammation and disease. These effects are influenced by individual characteristics, relationship quality, community environments, and broader social and economic factors.

This article was published with permission and was originally published in KnoWEwell.com.

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