Most people are aware that social support is an essential part of human nature. We are inherently social beings, and the quality connections we make with others have an extremely positive influence on our health. Yet, people seem to be more disconnected than ever, and isolation is a growing issue. This is partly due to people’s constant connection to their devices, and the fact that people have a majority of their established “connections” only in a virtual sense.

In addition, the increasingly competitive and rat-race nature of society has caused people to spend less time with their family and friends, and also lends a greater likelihood of people becoming jealous of one another. Both of these things can impair quality social connections and increases the risk of feeling isolated. With this in mind, it is important to highlight the benefits of social connections and social support, as well as the detriments of loneliness and a lack of social support. As you will see, the benefits are more than you might have initially thought.

Social Connections, Positive Emotions, and Resilience

Social connections are a powerful way to promote resiliency and increase positive affect. Close relationships and social support have been shown to help individuals overcome stressful situations and adjust to the environmental demands of work, school, family, etc. On the other hand, a lack of social support in one’s family and work environments is related to increased psychological maladjustment (Holahan & Moos, 1981).

Now, one of the specific ways social connections can promote resilience is through the positive shared experiences that occur in social interactions. One study found that a higher number of positive shared experiences in a given day was related to higher resilience (Arewasikporn, Sturgeon, & Zautra, 2019). The same study found that, between the participants in the study, participants with a greater average number of shared positive experiences had greater average levels of resilience than participants with a lower number of shared positive experiences (Arewasikporn, et al., 2019).

Social Connections and Mental Well-Being

Importantly, they also found that positive affect mediated the relationship between positive shared experiences and resilience. This simply means that increased positive shared experiences led to positive emotions, which then led to increased resilience. Another study showed a similar finding. The Harvard Study of Adult Development, an 80-year study that is still going on, has found that the people who have the closest social connections are the happiest (Harvard Health Publishing, 2017). Dr. Robert Waldinger, the current director of the study of this study, states that, “Personal connection creates mental and emotional stimulation, which are automatic mood boosters.” (Solan, 2017).

Thus, it is clear that social support and positive shared experiences can increase positive emotions and help people easily adjust to situations. In the long-term, this leads to increases in mental health and well-being. This should really come as no surprise. Just think about the times you talk and laugh with friends and family, and how good that feels. Often, it is those seemingly trivial conversations and interactions that have the biggest benefit to our happiness. Plus, knowing you can count on a handful of individuals when situations get tough is a very reassuring and comforting feeling. And it is those few important family members and friends who can help us to stay resilient in the face of life’s obstacles.

Social Support and Physical Health

While the above information may not be too surprising, it is less known that social support can actually improve physical health, too. For example, having high social connections has been found to reduce the risk of heart attacks, diabetes, hypertension, and arthritis, among other diseases (Reblin & Uchino, 2008). Additionally, high social and emotional support may reduce the risk for certain diseases and all-cause mortality (Reblin & Uchino, 2008).

The Harvard Study of Adult Development also found that the individuals in the study who were most satisfied with their relationships at age 50 were also the healthiest at age 80 (Harvard Health Publishing, 2017). Within this timeframe, relationship satisfaction was the most important predictor of health at age 80, even more so than physical factors, such as cholesterol levels (Mineo, 2017). Thus, close relationships are the main factor that keeps people happy, and these relationships can help to delay physical decline and lead to longer lives.

A Potential Pathway to Increased Physical Health

To understand the relationship between social support and physical health, one study found a certain cycle. This cycle consisted of positive emotions, perceived feelings of social connectedness, and improved physical health. To illustrate this, the researchers found that, “Recurrent momentary experiences of positive emotions appear to serve as nutrients for the human body, increasing feelings of social belonging and giving a needed boost to parasympathetic health, which in turn opens people up to more and more rewarding positive emotional and social experiences. Over time, this self-sustaining upward spiral of growth appears to improve physical health.” (Kok, et al., 2013, p. 1131).

In other words, positive emotions, which occur in quality social interactions, can improve one’s feelings of social connectedness, which then improves certain markers of physical health, and the cycle continues. It is also important to note that, in the above study, the participants were told to generate positive emotions. They were told to do this by self-creating feelings of love, compassion, and goodwill towards themselves and to others (Kok, et al., 2013). This highlights that the highest feelings of social support and connectedness occur when individuals try to create positive feelings and interactions with others AND themselves. Thus, optimal social connection can only happen if you have a healthy relationship with yourself first.

Loneliness and Mental Disorders

While close relationships are vital for human health, a lack of social connections and social support leads to many negative outcomes. First of all, rates of loneliness are much higher in individuals with mental disorders (e.g. depression, anxiety, phobias), than in individuals without mental disorders (Duke, 2017). In fact, people with two or three mental disorders may be up 20 times more likely to experience loneliness, compared to people without a mental disorder (Duke, 2017). With this in mind, some believe loneliness is a symptom of mental disorders. However, loneliness may be a cause and a consequence, not a symptom. In other words, loneliness and a lack of social support may propel the development of certain mental disorders. Consequently, when an individual has a mental disorder, their loneliness may worsen, and so the cycle continues.

Mental Health Detriments of Loneliness

This is very unfortunate because loneliness can lead to many negative health consequences. For example, loneliness can increase depressive symptoms (Holahan & Moos, 1981), and puts individuals at a greater risk of cognitive decline and dementia (Duke, 2017). Loneliness is also associated with anxiety, psychological distress, delusions, and paranoia (Duke, 2017). Moreover, loneliness is associated with increased suicidal symptoms (Duke, 2017). Relatedly, individuals with smaller social networks and less social support are more likely to use mental health services. The Harvard Study of Adult Development found that brain function declines much sooner in isolated individuals, compared to socially connected people (Mineo, 2017). In addition, they found that isolation is related to early memory decline (Harvard Health Publishing, 2017). Clearly, a lack of social support has a number of negative effects on mental health and cognitive functioning.

Loneliness and Physical Health Outcomes

I’m sure some of these mental health effects aren’t too surprising. Yet, did you know that a lack of social support negatively affects physical health, too? Firstly, loneliness is positively associated with increased cardiovascular risk and increased systolic blood pressure (Duke, 2017). Loneliness also increases the risk of developing coronary heart disease and stroke (Duke, 2017). Additionally, low social involvement is related to a higher risk of heart attacks and certain diseases, such as diabetes, emphysema, and hypertension (Reblin & Uchino, 2008).

Furthermore, loneliness seems to be a unique risk factor for negative health outcomes, independent of other related factors. For example, loneliness has predicted all-cause mortality, even after controlling for certain risk factors, such as chronic disease, alcohol use, and smoking. To quote Dr. Waldinger again, he states, “Loneliness kills. It’s as powerful as smoking or alcoholism.” (Mineo, 2017). Clearly, loneliness has a detrimental effect on mental and physical health. Therefore, it is important for lonely individuals to increase their social connectedness and improve their relationships.

Steps to Increase Social Support and Decrease Loneliness

Fortunately, there are steps one can take to decrease feelings of loneliness and improve one’s relationships. Mainly, the quality of one’s social interactions, and not just the quantity, is vital for feeling supported and included.

The first thing to note is that positive connections with family members and close friends are the best kinds of social support you can have. For some, these people are the only individuals they need to feel fulfilled and connected. Thus, if you are having conflicts with family members and/or friends, you need to handle these conflicts. Living in conflict, especially with close family members and spouses, is detrimental towards mental and physical health (Mineo, 2017).

Make an Effort to Improve Your Relationships

It is not within the scope of this article to discuss a detailed solution. However, just know that counseling and therapy sessions are a potential solution to these problems, especially if these issues are more severe. I’d argue that familial support is even much more important than friendships, so make a great effort to improve relationships with family members. Indeed, successful relationships with close family members (especially spouses) seem to be a protective factor for mental health (Harvard Health Publishing, 2017).

You may not need counseling or therapy, but just try to make an effort to improve your relationships with family members and friends. These relationships don’t have to be perfect, and there will still be times where you get into conflicts and arguments. However, the main determinant of a close relationship is if you can count on an individual to support you through tough times. If you know you can trust that other person, then you know you have a close relationship, even amidst occasional arguments.

Let Go of Toxic Relationships

Also, get rid of toxic or negative people in your life, or at least minimize your interactions with them. Note that this seems somewhat contradictory to the point of trying to improve your relationships. However, this option relates to the people in your life whom you cannot trust or count on. This option relates to the people that you’ll probably never have a close relationship with. You don’t have to have great relationships with everybody. If there are certain people in your life who are negatively affecting your well-being, try to let go of them (Solan, 2017). Focus on your positive relationships and the ones you can improve. Don’t waste valuable energy trying to fix a relationship with someone so negative that the outcome will never change.

Find Common Interest Groups

Also, lonely individuals have to find groups of people that share common interests because they will connect with these people more easily and deeply. In turn, this should lead to increased feelings of social support and connection. It doesn’t matter what a person’s interests are. The fact of the matter is that there are plenty of others who probably hold similar interests. Sports, books, movies, gardening, hunting, fishing, singing, piano, guitar, volunteering, and so on. All of these things are potential avenues to find people that share similar interests and, thus, increase one’s feeling of social support and connection. Joining a club and volunteering are great options and they even offer additional benefits. For example, volunteering can help increase one’s sense of purpose (Solan, 2017).

Group Therapy Options

Also, for those struggling with mental health disorders on top of their feelings of loneliness, mental health support groups can be a potentially fantastic outlet. For example, someone struggling with generalized anxiety may want to find a therapy group that includes other individuals struggling with generalized anxiety, too. In this way, individuals can realize they are not the only ones struggling. They can also connect with these people, leading to increased positive feelings of self-worth, confidence, and general well-being.

An Essential Component of Human Health

Maintaining healthy relationships with others should not be seen as a chore, but rather as an essential component of your health! Social support is essential for mental and physical health and overall life success. We now know that close relationships and social support are what keeps people happy throughout their lives. It’s not fame, or money, or IQ, or social class, or even certain physical health factors. Sure, some of those factors have some influence, but social relationships have much more power.

Thus, take the time to let go of other obligations for a while and truly connect with family and friends. If you already have an abundance of positive social connections and social support, then keep it up. Continue to reap the benefits! However, if you are lonely or need to improve your relationships, then take those necessary steps. It is never too late to enhance your relationships and social connectedness. Doing so will have profound benefits on your mental and physical health.

References:

Arewasikporn, A., Sturgeon, J. A., & Zautra, A. J. (2019). Sharing positive experiences boosts resilient thinking: Everyday benefits of social connection and positive emotion in a community sample. American Journal of Community Psychology, 63 (1-2), 110-121. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12279  

Duke, L. H. (2017). The importance of social ties in mental health. Mental health and social inclusion, 21(5), 264-270. https://doi.org/10.1108/MHSI-07-2017-0029 

Harvard Health Publishing. (2017). Can relationships boost longevity and well-being? Harvard Health Letter. Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/mental-health/can-relationships-boost-longevity-and-well-being

Holahan, C. J., & Moos, R. H. (1981). Social support and psychological distress: A longitudinal analysis. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 90(4), 365-370. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0021-843X.90.4.365 

Kok, B. E., Coffey, K. A., Cohn, M. A., Catalino, L. I., Vacharkulksemsuk, T., Algoe, S. B., … Fredrickson, B. L. (2013). How positive emotions build physical health: Perceived positive social connections account for the upward spiral between positive emotions and vagal tone. Psychological Science, 24(7), 1123–1132. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797612470827 

Mineo, L. (2017). Good genes are nice, but joy is better. The Harvard Gazette. Retrieved from https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2017/04/over-nearly-80-years-harvard-study-has-been-showing-how-to-live-a-healthy-and-happy-life/

Reblin, M., & Uchino, B. N. (2008). Social and emotional support and its implication for health. Current opinion in psychiatry, 21(2), 201–205. doi:10.1097/YCO.0b013e3282f3ad89 

Solan, M. (2017). The secret to happiness? Here’s some advice from the longest-running study on happiness. Harvard Health Blog. Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-secret-to-happiness-heres-some-advice-from-the-longest-running-study-on-happiness-2017100512543