Articles on the impact of relationships on your well-being
Text A: Strong relationships, strong health
Throughout your life, the number and strength of your relationships affect your mental and physical wellbeing.
The benefits of social connections and good mental health are numerous. Proven links include lower rates of anxiety and depression, higher self-esteem, greater empathy, and more trusting and cooperative relationships. Strong, healthy relationships can also help to strengthen your immune system, help you recover from disease, and may even lengthen your life.
The good news is that while many of these benefits can make you happier and more contented, there’s also a flow-on effect, whereby people around you will want to spend time with you. In this way, social connectedness generates a positive feedback loop of social, emotional and physical wellbeing.
In contrast, loneliness can have dramatic consequences for your health. Loneliness can lead to disrupted sleep patterns, elevated blood pressure, and increased cortisol (a stress hormone). It can affect your immune system and decrease your overall sense of contentment. Loneliness is also a risk factor for antisocial behaviour, depression and suicide.
Older people are particularly vulnerable. If your mobility decreases, it can be harder to get together with other people. However, older people who remain connected with others and have strong relationships are likely to:
- have a better quality of life
- be more satisfied with their life
- have a lower risk of dementia and mental decline
- need less domestic support.
Younger people (teenagers and people in their 20s) are also at risk when they are isolated. A lack of social relationships can have a direct impact on a young person’s physical wellbeing by increasing the risk of obesity, inflammation and high blood pressure.
These three health issues can lead to long-term health problems, including heart disease, stroke and cancer, but a varied social network can help protect against physical decline.
What’s more, the benefits of social ties are significant, even if your other mortality risk factors (such as socioeconomic status, smoking, drinking, obesity and lack of physical activity) are low. In other words, even if you live a healthy life, you still need to be socially active to stay well and happy.
It’s important to recognise that loneliness is different from solitude. Feeling lonely is a problem, but being alone may not be a problem at all. Many people live alone and have happy, fulfilling lives.
Text B: How your relationships impact your health
Humans are social beings, and most of us understand the value and importance of social connections. Relationships give us entertainment, guidance, assistance and, perhaps most importantly, they support you so you don’t have to face the world alone. A recent study done by UNC Chapel Hill suggests that social relationships may also impact your physical health and consequently influence how long you’ll live.
Thanks to scientific research, we’ve known for a long time that a lack of social connections in a person’s life decreases life expectancy. In fact, having too few social connections can harm you to the same extent as smoking, being obese or not exercising enough. Of course, loneliness can make you sad or even depressed, but how does it affect your body physically? Research suggests that social isolation can lead to cardiovascular problems, cancer and other aging-related diseases such as diabetes and arthritis.
The harmful effects of social isolation are present in adolescents as well as adults. Teenagers holding fewer social relationships are more likely to be overweight, and adults over 50 with few social relationships are more likely to have high blood pressure and hypertension. Across all age groups, those with few social connections are at a higher risk for inflammation, a physical condition that can lead to many other chronic diseases and illnesses, such as cancer and asthma.
Clearly, our friends and family provide us with a lot more than most people realize. It’s important to understand that the social relationships mentioned in this study are positive social relationships, not negative ones. A negative social connection, such as that with an abusive parent or spouse, can actually harm your health.
In summary, positive and meaningful relationships, whether with a friend, partner, family member or community member, lower our risks for developing chronic illnesses like diabetes, obesity, and hypertension. Establishing and maintaining healthy social connections will go a long way towards keeping you healthy and happy.
Yang, Y.C., Boen, C., Gerken, K., Li, T., Schorpp, K. & Harris, K. M. (2015). Social relationships and physiological determinants of longevity across the human life span. PNAS 113 (3), 578-583.