New research from Brigham Young University
indicates that social interaction decreases the risk
of premature death. Scientists conducted an analysis
of actuarial health research from 1980 to 2014 that
included more than 3 million people.
The study found living alone increased the risk
of death by 32 percent, while perceptions of greater social isolation and elevated
loneliness showed 29 percent and 26 percent increased risks of early mortality,
respectively. The results were consistent among both men and women, but the
impact of feelings of isolation or loneliness caused a higher degree of mortality
risk for individuals under the age of 65.
The mortality rates among the lonely and isolated were comparable to those
of individuals that smoked 15 cigarettes a day or were alcoholics. Lead researcher
Julianne Holt-Lunstad, Ph.D., further noted, “The effect of this is comparable to
that of obesity, something that public health takes very seriously.”
