Social isolation on a massive scale is a product of responding to COVID-19 while recognizing that the social environment has a dramatic impact on a sense of life satisfaction and well-being. When under duress, human resilience depends on the richness and strength of social connections, along with active engagement in groups and communities. Evidence that has emerged in recent years makes it abundantly clear that perceived social isolation (i.e., loneliness) may be the most potent threat to survival and longevity. The World Health Organization in 2019 declared that loneliness is a major health concern worldwide and the United Kingdom recently appointed its first Minister of Loneliness. A manuscript published in the September 2020 issue of the journal Trends in Cognitive Sciences highlights the benefits of social bonds; the choreographies of bond creation and maintenance; and the neurocognitive basis of social isolation and its deep consequences for mental and physical health. Accumulating evidence indicates that friendships are a conditio sine qua non for health quality. The tighter someone is embedded in a network of friends, the less likely it is that an individual will become ill. The higher the level of social capital, the faster the recovery time will be after becoming ill, the quicker to recover from surgery, and the longer the length of life.
Researchers in the journal study explored the neurobiology of social isolation and the consequences it has for health and psychological well-being. They outline the evidence for the many benefits of social interaction and consider why an individual cannot have an unlimited number of friends, even though they are highly beneficial. These investigators also briefly survey the behavioral patterns that play a central role in creating and maintaining strong social bonds. Finally, an examination is performed of key neurobiological mechanisms underlying social interplay and the impact that social deprivation has on them.
More September 2020 TRENDS Articles
A QUASI-CATEGORICAL DEMURRAL
indicates that it is too soon to understand the full implications and overall impact of COVID-19. Read More
WHISTLING THE COLLEGE HORNPIPE
contains information about advantages the federal government possesses in developing financial responses to the coronavirus pandemic. Read More
HEALTH REFORM DEVELOPMENTS
Points out how despite a decline in poverty rates, the ability to access health care remains difficult for some population subgroups while at the same time insufficient attention is paid by policymakers regarding the adequacy of the health workforce. Read More
DEVELOPMENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION
Describes how once again reauthorization of the Higher Education Act failed to occur; the issuance of final regulations for distance education and innovation; and how the U.S. Department of Education is rescinding several guidance documents. Read More
QUICK STAT (SHORT, TIMELY, AND TOPICAL)
Delaying Or Avoiding Health Care During The Pandemic Because Of Concerns About COVID-19
Trends And Patterns In Menarche In The United States: 1995 Through 2013–2017
Machine Learning Maps Research Needs In Coronavirus Literature
Rapid Blood Test Could Detect Brain Injury In Minutes Read More
AVAILABLE RESOURCES ACCESSIBLE ELECTRONICALLY
Scorecard On State Health System Performance
Racial Disparities In Cancer
The State of Obesity 2020: Better Policies For A Healthier America Read More
COMPOSITION AND CAPACITY OF THE GENETICS WORKFORCE
discusses how the clinical genetics workforce likely will face greatly increased demand for its services. Read More
THE NEUROBIOLOGY OF SOCIAL DISTANCE
refers to the neurocognitive basis of social isolation and its deep consequences for mental and physical health, along with neurobiological mechanisms underlying social interplay and the impact that social deprivation has on them. Read More