(C) World Health Organization This story was originally published by World Health Organization and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Episode #120 - Social isolation [1] [] Date: 2024-06 VGS Are you experiencing social isolation or loneliness? Did you know that it could increase your risk of death by up to 32 per cent? We've all experienced some sort of social isolation during the pandemic, but some people are living with it. How does that impact your health? Here to talk about it is Alana Officer. Welcome, Alana. Talk to us about loneliness. Is it possible to have a full social diary and still feel lonely? AO Hi Vismita. Great to be here. So loneliness refers to the discrepancy between the social connections that you have and those you want, both in terms of quantity and quality. So yes, it is possible to have a full social diary with many engagements, but for these not to be particularly satisfying. For example, you may not experience the intimacy that you're seeking, or you may not feel valued and respected in those relationships. Or potentially they may not be fun and enjoyable. It's also possible that in some situations, you may find that your social connections are dictated more by obligation than by personal choice. And in those instances, you may have an increased feeling of social isolation or loneliness. VGS So you're saying that just because we're socially connected on social media, let's say, just because we are having many, many conversations, if those conversations are not positive or nurturing, that's not going to improve the feeling of loneliness, right? So talk to us about what science says is the impact of loneliness or social isolation on our health? AO This is an area where we have really quite strong scientific evidence, and what it says is that loneliness and social isolation have really significant impacts on mortality and on health. For example, social isolation and loneliness increase the risk of early death by between 14 and 32 per cent. Now that's as much as other really well-known risk factors like smoking, drinking too much alcohol, physical inactivity and obesity. But it also increases the risk of poor physical health, for example, increasing the risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease by up to about 30 per cent and increasing the risk of mental health problems such as dementia by up to 50 per cent, but also anxiety and depression. VGS How about work life and accomplishments? Does loneliness and social isolation also affect that? AO Yes, so social isolation and loneliness’s impact extends far beyond health. For example, in terms of educational and employment opportunities. For example, in terms of educational and employment opportunities. For example, people who are not feeling supported or feeling disconnected within the workplace tend to have lower job performance and lower job satisfaction. And interestingly, current research suggests that these impacts are similar across the world. VGS So Alana talk to us about some ways, some effective solutions that we can remain socially connected. AO So Vismita, there's lots of things that we can do. For example, you know, investing and nurturing in our existing relationships with family and friends, revisiting our priorities and the value that we give to social connection. Joining community groups is one opportunity, or volunteering, or even starting to do an activity in an area that is of interest, whether that be music or sport or art or reading. Say hello, engage in small talk with neighbours or shopkeepers. When you're in conversations, minimize distractions. Put your phone aside, or at least not look at it quite so frequently. VGS That's an important one, right? AO It is, and we don't do it enough. But the one that I love also is small acts of kindness. Providing support to others can often make us feel less lonely and less disconnected. But if these don't help, it's important to seek support if you are experiencing loneliness and social isolation by identifying resources that are available in your community. VGS Thank you Alana. AO Thank you very much Vismita. [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.who.int/podcasts/episode/science-in-5/episode--120---social-isolation Published and (C) by World Health Organization Content appears here under this condition or license: Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/who/