Loneliness and Isolation Linked to Years Lost to Poor Mental Health
A Tulane University observational study estimated that people who are lonely or socially isolated may lose years of life free from disease. Men with both conditions lost about 5.8 years without depression or anxiety, while women lost about 3.7 years. Physical health effects were smaller but still significant, according to the research published in Nature Communications.
The Tulane team followed 277,489 adults aged 40–69 who began without diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, dementia, cancer, depression, or anxiety. Using age 50 as a starting point, they compared how many years participants might live without those conditions across loneliness, social isolation, both, or neither.
Women with both conditions had 2.4 fewer years without physical illness; men had 1.7 fewer. Mental-health gaps were larger: about 3.7 years for women and 5.8 for men. The researchers also examined lifestyle, with healthier habits appearing to help with isolation but not loneliness.
Lonely or socially isolated middle-aged and older adults may face more years living with depression or anxiety, potentially affecting families, workplaces, and communities. Men could experience especially large mental-health losses, while women may see larger physical-health losses. Because the study was observational, it cannot prove causation; real-world impact may depend on whether social support and healthy routines reduce these risks.