While a number of previous studies suggest that both social isolation and loneliness are associated with increased risk of death, evidence differs as to whether their effects are independent or whether loneliness represents the emotional pathway through which social isolation impairs health. Andrew Steptoe, from University College London (United Kingdom), and studied 6,500 men and women, ages 52 years and older, enrolled in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing in 2004–2005. The team tracked subjects’ contact with family and friends and participation in civic organizations; and assessed lonliness via a standard questionnaire. The researchers monitored all-cause mortality up to March 2012 (mean follow-up 7.25 years), finding that mortality was higher among more socially isolated and more lonely participants. After adjusting statistically for demographic factors and baseline health, social isolation remained significantly associated with mortality.
