People who are lonely often have reduced activation of the brain’s insula cortex, which means their intuition is lowered…Loneliness increases the risk of anxiety, depression, stroke, dementia, and Parkinson’s disease.
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Loneliness goes beyond an emotional phenomenon and leads to serious diseases such as stroke and Parkinson’s disease. .[사진= 게티이미지뱅크]One in three American adults complains of chronic loneliness. This is as harmful as smoking and obesity. It can cause not only anxiety and depression, but also cardiovascular disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. Loneliness is a serious threat to your brain and body. American health media outlet ‘Medscape’ shed light on loneliness through expert opinions. .
In 2023, the US Surgeon General published a report describing loneliness as an epidemic. Given the serious health consequences of loneliness and isolation, it should be treated in the same way as tobacco, obesity and substance use disorders. .
“Loneliness and social isolation are different entities,” said Anna Finley, Ph.D., professor of psychology at North Dakota State University. “Social isolation can be objectively measured by measuring the number of people you interact with on a regular basis, but loneliness is a subjective feeling that arises from a lack of close connections.” “It is,” he explained. “These two things are not really related,” he said. “A person can feel lonely in a crowd and not feel lonely if they have friendships with a few people.”
Recently, the American Heart Association released a statement on the direct link between social isolation and loneliness, and mortality from coronary heart disease and stroke. Many studies have shown that people who feel socially isolated or lonely are at increased risk for anxiety and depression, dementia, infectious diseases, hospitalization, and death from all causes. There is also research showing that eliminating loneliness can prevent about 20% of depression in adults over 50 years of age.
“In a study of Parkinson’s disease patients, the negative effect of loneliness on disease severity was as great as the positive effect of exercising 30 minutes daily,” said Dr. Indu Subramanian, professor of neurology at the University of California.
Dr. Julian Holt-Lunstad, a professor of neuroscience at Brigham Young University, published a book that found loneliness, social isolation, and living alone are independent risk factors for premature death. He compared loneliness to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. He continued, “There is evidence that isolation predicts physical health and loneliness predicts mental health.”
Dr. Finley is studying the brain mechanisms that lead to the detrimental health consequences of loneliness. “What has a profound impact on the brain are emotional dysregulation and altered perception of social interactions,” he said. “Lonely people tend to interpret social signals in a negative way, which prevents them from forming productive, positive relationships. “He said.
People who feel a lot of loneliness have less activation of the insula cortex, which means their intuition is lowered.
Dr. Dirk Schiele, professor of neuroscience at Ruhr University Bochum in Germany, used MRI to examine the brains of healthy people with high and low loneliness scores. As a result, people who felt a lot of loneliness showed decreased activation of the insula cortex. This area is involved in processing body signals such as intuition. A decrease in this activity is interpreted as a decrease in intuition about who to trust. .
People who were highly lonely had lower levels of oxytocin and a reduced response to positive social interactions. “Oxytocin increases trust, and higher levels of loneliness are associated with lower levels of endogenous oxytocin,” said Dr. Schiele. “Loneliness is associated with negative stereotypes about other people.”
He also experimented with short-term (five times a week) group psychotherapy and oxytocin to target negative biases and reduce loneliness. As a result, group psychotherapy reduced loneliness (loneliness experienced over a long period of time). “We found that in-group bonding was experienced more positively in the group that received oxytocin,” he said, adding, “Oxytocin may serve as an adjunct to psychotherapy.”
Another issue is whether social methods can be developed and effective measures taken to reduce loneliness. Dr. Finley believes that for social prescriptions to work well, an understanding of each individual’s situation is necessary. “Some people only interact with others when they receive support to deal with the social and emotional problems that come with loneliness,” he said.
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How do cultural perceptions of loneliness and social isolation vary across different societies, and what implications does this have for addressing these issues?
Develop open-ended questions focusing on the key topics covered in the article. Prepare questions that encourage discussion and different viewpoints.
1. What are the main differences between social isolation and loneliness?
2. Can you discuss the direct link between social isolation and loneliness, as well as the negative health consequences they can have on individuals such as increased risks for stroke and Parkinson’s disease?
3. How does loneliness affect the brain, and what specific areas of the brain are impacted?
4. What is the role of oxytocin in reducing loneliness, and how can it be used effectively in treating individuals who feel isolated?
5. How can we develop social methods to prevent or reduce loneliness in individuals suffering from it?
6. In your opinion, what are some potential long-term solutions to the epidemic of loneliness in our society?
