Want To Live Longer? Be Sure To Socialize, New Research Says

We already know that loneliness has negative effects on our health, weakening our immunity along with our mental and emotional health. But how much loneliness is too much? That's what researchers wanted to find out, looking at data from 9,000 participants from the U.S. Health and Retirement Study.

Over the course of an eight-year period, the data was split into four groups: those who had never experienced loneliness and those who'd experienced it once, twice, or at three points throughout the study.

And based on the findings, even a little loneliness is more than enough to impact your health. Namely, those participants who reported periods of loneliness had a significantly higher risk of mortality than those who were not lonely.

After accounting for confounding variables, there were 106 excess deaths when loneliness was reported once. When it was reported twice? 202 excess deaths. And those who reported loneliness three or more times had 288 excess deaths.

The results of this study make one thing abundantly clear: Loneliness needs to be prevented and avoided whenever possible, especially for aging populations who no longer go to work or have limited ability to get out into their communities.

And as Kobayashi notes, there's an important distinction between being alone and feeling lonely. "Even those who are socially isolated may not feel lonely. It's the feeling of loneliness, of needing people and purpose and not getting it, which appears to be bad for health."

Her hope, along with the other researchers, is that the world becomes a more accessible place for older populations to socialize and stay engaged.

"It's about the physical design of communities and resources and priorities. It's about a cultural shift in how we see and portray older people. As people age, they transition out of meaningful social roles—they need meaningful replacements. Maintaining integration with families is important and can be a big source of meaning in life," Kobayashi adds.

Until our communities become more accessible, however, there are still simple ways to curb loneliness. Spending time with family, as aforementioned, is a great place to start, along with joining a community center, picking up a new group-oriented hobby or class, and trying to make some new friends.