A set of studies published in this month's issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry suggest that social isolation and depression are bad for both mental and physical health.
More than 800 senior citizens were evaluated for loneliness on a five point scale and tested for cognitive function. Researchers found that a higher loneliness rating was associated with lower cognitive function and a faster decline. Over the course of the four-year study, 76 subjects developed Alzheimer's disease. Of these, the top 10 percentile of loneliest subjects were more than twice as likely to have developed the disease than the least lonely 10 percent.
Another study in the same issue shows that depression likewise takes its toll on health, possibly leading to heart disease. In a three-year study of men and women with an average age of 60, mild to moderate depression was found to be associated with--and to precede--a hardening of the arteries. Meanwhile, anxiety and anger were not found to be associated with these early signs of heart disease.
ABSTRACT: Loneliness and Risk of Alzheimer Disease
ABSTRACT: Negative Emotions and 3-Year Progression of Subclinical Atherosclerosis
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