Social Connectedness 101: Social Connection and Mental Health
Scientifically reviewed by Rose Perry, Ph.D.
Illustrated by Dr. Flux
Social connections can influence our mental health and emotional wellbeing for better and for worse. The evidence suggests that loneliness and social isolation can increase the risk for depression, anxiety, suicidality, and dementia. But strong social connections can protect against all of these, helping us to lead a happier and healthier life.
Highlights:
Social relationships affect how we think and feel, meaning that mental health is not simply an individual issue.
Numerous studies have shown that loneliness and social isolation are associated with an increased risk of depression, anxiety, suicidality, and dementia.
Research shows that being socially connected may be one of the most important factors in protecting against depression.
Social connectedness likely also significantly reduces the risk of anxiety, suicidality, and dementia.
We tend to think of mental health as something that is contained within an individual person and largely determined by factors like genetics and personality. But social factors, such as social connections and relationships, also greatly influence how we think and feel, which can impact our mental health and emotional wellbeing. Previously, we’ve reviewed the evidence on social connection and physical health. Here, we examine the research investigating how loneliness, social isolation, and social connectedness relate to a variety of mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, dementia, and suicidality.
Social Connection and Depression
Most of the research on social connection and mental health has focused on depression, with dozens of studies showing that being socially isolated or lonely can significantly increase risk for depression [1, 2]. Loneliness, in particular, has been shown to predict an increased risk for developing depression. For instance, one study that analyzed data from several longitudinal studies found that overall, adults who often felt lonely were more than twice as likely to develop depression than people who rarely or never felt lonely [3]. Social disconnection may not only influence the risk for developing depression, but may also impact its progression. Another analysis of longitudinal studies found that loneliness and lower perceived social support predicted greater symptom severity and poorer recovery among people with depression [4].
But just as social relationships can increase the risk for depression and worsen its progression, they can also protect us from it. According to one analysis that combined the results from 100 studies involving over 500,000 people, 90% of the studies reported a significant association between having higher social support and protection from depression. The researchers found that, on average, higher levels of social support were associated with a 47% decreased odds of having depression. This protective association was observed at different ages across the lifespan, from childhood to old age [5]. Notably, most of these studies were cross-sectional, meaning that they investigated associations between social connection and depression at only a single point in time. Thus, with cross-sectional studies it’s not possible to delineate whether social connections might cause depression, or vice versa. Establishing true cause and effect relationships is always a tricky issue in science. However, one noteworthy study sought to address exactly that.
Using data from over 100,000 people, a team of researchers investigated a variety of factors to find out what might influence depression. They looked at different aspects of people’s lifestyle, environment, and social activities, focusing only on factors that could be modified or changed. They found that social connection (frequency of confiding in others) was the strongest protective factor against depression out of more than 100 potential factors. On average, people who had more frequent social connections had a 24% reduced odds of developing depression six to eight years later. This protective effect applied even to people who were at higher risk of developing depression due to traumatic life events [6].
Social connection provided the most protection against depression compared to other physical, social, leisure, and diet factors [6].
What is perhaps most impressive about this study is that the research team used a complex statistical modeling technique called Mendelian randomization that uses genetic data to approximate a natural experiment. This approach strengthens the ability to make a claim that social connection causes reductions in depression. In other words, the researchers could say with reasonable confidence that there was likely a cause-effect relationship between social connection preventing depression [6]. This robust methodology greatly enhances our understanding of how social relationships can positively impact mental health.
Social Connection and Anxiety
Anxiety is often characterized by social withdrawal and avoidance of social situations, which can isolate people from others and lead to feelings of loneliness and disconnection. Research on social isolation has found that people with social anxiety disorder have a 73% higher odds of living alone compared to those without the disorder [7]. Likewise, many studies have shown that feelings of loneliness are strongly linked to anxiety [8, 2]. Although most of these studies were cross-sectional, having examined associations between social connection and anxiety at a single time point, there is also evidence from several longitudinal studies that loneliness predicts higher subsequent anxiety, even up to 21 years later [3].
By the same token, strong social connections may help protect against increased anxiety. Research shows that having higher quality social support is associated with lower anxiety levels over time [4]. In particular, being closely bonded with both family and friends has been associated with lower levels of anxiety [9]. These results underscore the powerful role that stable, supportive, and meaningful social relationships can play in buffering against stress and anxiety.
Social Connection and Suicidality
Ever since the French sociologist Émile Durkheim’s classic study Suicide was published in 1897, in which he argued that a lack of social integration leads to suicide, researchers have investigated the role that social factors play in suicidal behaviors. Since then, decades of research have shown that a lack of social connection is linked to suicidality and self-harm [10, 11, 2]. Both the objective experience of isolation and the subjective feeling of loneliness have been strongly associated with a variety of suicidal outcomes, including suicidal ideation, suicidal planning, non-suicidal self-injury, deliberate self-harm, suicide attempts, and suicide [10]. These associations are consistent across different countries, ages, and populations, which underlines the universal human need for social connection. In fact, some researchers have even claimed that “social isolation is arguably the strongest and most reliable predictor of suicidal ideation, attempts, and lethal suicidal behavior among samples varying in age, nationality, and clinical severity” [12].
On the other hand, there is promising evidence that high quality social connections can act as a safeguard against suicide risk. A comprehensive review of 16 studies revealed that social support interventions aimed at preventing suicide successfully reduced the risk of suicide by 52% [13]. Importantly, all of these studies were randomized control trials, which provide strong experimental evidence that social support directly diminishes the risk for suicide. Moreover, one interesting study found that young adults with 3 to 4 social connections had a 74% lower odds of suicide deaths or attempts, while those with 5 to 6 connections had an 89% lower odds of such incidents [14]. These findings highlight the substantial protective influence that strong social connections can have on reducing the risk of suicide.
Social Connection and Dementia
Neurocognitive diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s are so common now that we tend to think that they are just part of the natural aging process. But this is not necessarily true. Social factors play a large part in shaping their onset and development. In older adults, for instance, loneliness and social isolation are strongly tied to the development of cognitive decline, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease [15]. Loneliness in particular has been associated with a 72% increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease and a 23% increased risk of dementia [16]. Similarly, social isolation is linked to dementia. A comprehensive analysis revealed that the risk of developing dementia was 30% higher among older people who were living alone [17]. In fact, this risk was even greater than other known risk factors for dementia, including physical inactivity, hypertension, and diabetes. This finding is especially alarming in light of the fact that 27% of adults in the United States aged 60 or over live alone—more than anywhere else in the world.
However, maintaining social connections can likely protect older adults from developing dementia. A comprehensive review of evidence from longitudinal studies demonstrated that engaging in social activities, such as getting together with friends, reduced the risk for dementia by 19%, and more frequent social contact lowered the risk for dementia by 14% [18]. Moreover, people with a larger social network size were 25% less likely to develop dementia. These findings indicate that the quality, quantity, and frequency of social interactions can each uniquely contribute to reducing the risk of developing neurocognitive disease.
Mental Health Beyond the Individual
As we’ve seen, there is clear and consistent evidence that social relationships are powerful determinants of our mental health and emotional wellbeing. Put another way, mental health is not just a personal issue that is “all in your head.” Mental health extends beyond the individual and is profoundly shaped by our social interactions and relationships. This means that we all play a role in creating healthy social connections and supporting mental health for ourselves and others. Thankfully, there are many pathways to social connection. And you can learn more about them by reading our previous article on supporting your own and other people’s mental health through social connection, checking out these resources, and supporting the work of Social Creatures. Together, we can create a healthier, more supportive social environment for everyone.
Cite this article:
Braren, S. H. (2023, November 9). Social Connectedness 101: Social Connection and Mental Health. The Creature Times, Social Creatures. https://www.thesocialcreatures.org/thecreaturetimes/social-connection-mental-cognitive-emotional-health
In-text References
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