During the Diwali holiday season, many individuals may feel the urge to visit their families or friends, and a new study suggests that not socializing during such occasions could increase the risk of premature death. Published in the journal BMC Medicine, the study indicates that social isolation or loneliness may elevate the risk of premature death by 39%.
The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Glasgow in Scotland, examined two types of loneliness and three types of social isolation, finding that each was associated with a higher risk of mortality. Hamish Foster, the first study author and clinical research fellow at the School of Health and Wellbeing, highlighted these findings during a press briefing.
The sense of loneliness was measured based on participants’ feelings of being able to confide in someone close and their frequency of experiencing loneliness. Social isolation was gauged by factors such as living alone, the frequency of visits from friends or family, and engagement in group activities.
Analyzing data from over 450,000 participants over a 12-year period (recruited between 2006 and 2010), the researchers considered various factors to establish a link between interactions with friends or family and the risk of premature death.
Results indicated that individuals who were more frequently visited by friends or family experienced a 39% reduction in the risk of premature death. Notably, interactions with people beyond close contacts did not reduce the heightened risk of premature death. The researchers suggested that close contacts might offer more practical support and be better at identifying subtle declines in health and well-being, leading to potential protective effects.
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