The DOI matches its Crossref record; 47 of the 47 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; 9 of the 42 sources its claims cite were checked for support.
Social isolation: An underappreciated determinant of physical health
Open accessAbstract
While a sizable body of research demonstrates the associations between social connection and health, much of the recent focus in the broader public and to some extent among academics has been on loneliness, with more objective/structural aspects often assumed to be proxies for more influential relationship factors such as relationship functions and quality. However, evidence suggests the actual presence of others (proximity and regular contact) is essential, and many studies document these structural indicators have just as powerful and, in some cases, more potent effects on indicators of health and well-being. This paper summarizes the evidence on social isolation and health and provides a framework for why social isolation may be a powerful predictor of health and mortality.
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Claims the paper makes
26 Not checked yet · 20 Own interpretation · 4 Partly supported · 1 Supported · accuracy not yet measured
In the paper
“While this multi-factorial approach has been applied to some extent [5], much of the research does not examine the synergistic or additive influence of these components but instead examines each in parallel with some aspects more commonly examined than others [1].”
§ Social Isolation: An Underappreciated Determinant of Physical Health > Introduction
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [1] 2020
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
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A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“It proposes that social isolation, as a construct, may represent a weak social foundation leading to significant vulnerability.”
§ Social Isolation: An Underappreciated Determinant of Physical Health > Abstract
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: unclear — It is unclear whether it could be checked against evidence.
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In the paper
“Over the past several decades, research has amassed documenting the long-term health effects of social relationships [1].”
§ Social Isolation: An Underappreciated Determinant of Physical Health > Introduction
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [1] 2020
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Thus, the relative importance of social isolation for health and well-being may be underappreciated.”
§ Social Isolation: An Underappreciated Determinant of Physical Health > Introduction
hedged- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: unclear — It is unclear whether it could be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“The evidence suggests each of the components of social connection significantly contributes to health risk or protection [2,4].”
§ Social Isolation: An Underappreciated Determinant of Physical Health > Introduction
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [2] Holt-Lunstad, 2017, Advancing social connection as a public health priority in the United States, Am Psychol source
- Not checked yetcites [4] Holt-Lunstad, 2018, Why social relationships are important for physical health: a systems approach to understanding and modifying risk and protection, Annu Rev Psychol source
hedgedcorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Together these findings suggest that isolation may contribute significantly to our understanding of the biomechanisms involved in disease development and progression.”
§ Social Isolation: An Underappreciated Determinant of Physical Health > Biomechanisms
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Another reason that social isolation may be such a powerful predictor of health outcomes is because structural aspects of relationships may be relatively more stable and enduring over time than measures of functions and quality of relationships.”
§ Social Isolation: An Underappreciated Determinant of Physical Health > Why is social isolation such a powerful predictor of health?
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
In the paper
“Similarly, a 17-year Finnish study found that social isolation predicted future mortality after controlling for loneliness and potential confounding factors [31].”
§ Social Isolation: An Underappreciated Determinant of Physical Health > Mortality
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [31] Tanskanen, 2016, A prospective study of social isolation, loneliness, and mortality in Finland, Am J Publ Health source
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The evidence for an association of isolation and future disease that is independent of loneliness is mixed and complex.”
§ Social Isolation: An Underappreciated Determinant of Physical Health > Morbidity
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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In the paper
“Across these study types, each showed significant reductions in depression symptoms.”
§ Social Isolation: An Underappreciated Determinant of Physical Health > Conclusion
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [47] Dingle, 2021, The effects of social group interventions for depression: systematic review, J Affect Disord source
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- It may state two separate claims as one. 23
- Probably not a substantial claim. 4
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“Nonetheless, evidence suggests the actual presence of others-including the existence of relationships and roles, proximity, and regular contact--is a powerful, in some cases stronger predictor of health than other aspects of relationships [2,10].”
§ Social Isolation: An Underappreciated Determinant of Physical Health > Introduction
What the sources say
- Partly supportedcites [2] Holt-Lunstad, 2017, Advancing social connection as a public health priority in the United States, Am Psychol sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
In ‘Defining the Problem’ (page not provided), the paper says structural measures of relationships independently predict morbidity and mortality. But ‘The Seriousness of the Problem’ says measures combining multiple relationship aspects are the strongest predictors; it does not establish that physical presence, proximity, or regular contact are essential or stronger predictors than other relationship features. (LLM, conf=0.86)
- Partly supportedcites [10] Steptoe, 2013, Social isolation, loneliness, and all-cause mortality in older men and women, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Results and Discussion (page unavailable) show that objective social isolation remained associated with mortality after adjustment, whereas loneliness did not. The Measures section includes relationship status and frequency of contact, but counts telephone and written contact as well as face-to-face contact; it does not measure physical proximity. The paper therefore supports the comparison for mortality, not the claim that the physical presence of others is essential to health and well-being generally. (LLM, conf=0.84)
hedgedcorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- Partly supported
Every source the paper cites for this claim was checked and supports it.
In the paper
“For example, research demonstrates social isolation modulates immune responses and induces inflammation [40,41].”
§ Social Isolation: An Underappreciated Determinant of Physical Health > Biomechanisms
What the sources say
- Supportedcites [40] Powell, 2013, Social stress up-regulates inflammatory gene expression in the leukocyte transcriptome via β-adrenergic induction of myelopoiesis, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A source
The social genomics | immunology section explicitly includes social isolation among adverse circumstances associated with increased expression of inflammatory genes and decreased expression of genes involved in innate antiviral responses. The Discussion says these immune dynamics can promote chronic inflammation. The claim is a broad paraphrase of those points. (LLM, conf=0.88)
- Supportedcites [41] Cole, 2015, Myeloid differentiation architecture of leukocyte transcriptome dynamics in perceived social isolation, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A source
The Abstract reports up-regulated inflammatory gene expression and down-regulated antiviral responses in people experiencing perceived social isolation, alongside impaired responses to infection in a macaque model. The introductory passage also reports up-regulation of proinflammatory genes in people chronically high in perceived social isolation. Page numbers were not supplied for these passages. (LLM, conf=0.89)
boosteddirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- Supported
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“For example, an analysis of more than 450,000 participants in the UK Biobank tested associations between social isolation, loneliness, and acute myocardial infarction (MI). Neither factor was associated with first MI, but social isolation predicted mortality among people with a history of cardiovascular disease or stroke [29].”
§ Social Isolation: An Underappreciated Determinant of Physical Health > Morbidity
What the sources say
- Partly supportedcites [29] Hakulinen, 2018, Social isolation and loneliness as risk factors for myocardial infarction, stroke and mortality: UK Biobank cohort study of 479 054 men and women, Heart sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Results report that both isolation and loneliness were associated with first acute myocardial infarction in models adjusted for age, sex and ethnicity, but neither association remained statistically significant after adjustment for all examined risk factors. Thus, the unqualified statement that neither predicted a first heart attack omits an important qualification. The Discussion reports that social isolation was associated with increased mortality after an acute myocardial infarction or stroke. (LLM, conf=0.88)
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- Partly supported
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“In a meta-analysis of longitudinal studies of social isolation and loneliness and cardiovascular outcomes, both social isolation and loneliness were found to significantly increase the risk for new CHD and stroke, with no evidence that one was more strongly related to disease incidence than the other [33].”
§ Social Isolation: An Underappreciated Determinant of Physical Health > Morbidity
What the sources say
- Partly supportedcites [33] Valtorta, 2016, Loneliness and social isolation as risk factors for coronary heart disease and stroke: systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal observational studies, Heart sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Results sections report increased risks of incident CHD for studies of loneliness or social isolation and of stroke for studies of social isolation. The CHD subgroup analysis found no evidence that the associations differed, but the paper does not establish that loneliness increased stroke risk or compare loneliness with isolation for stroke. (LLM, conf=0.88)
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- Partly supported
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“There is also a growing body of evidence relating social isolation with nonfatal physical health outcomes, including increased risk for cardiovascular disease and stroke [33], pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes [34], and poorer cognitive functioning [35].”
§ Social Isolation: An Underappreciated Determinant of Physical Health > Morbidity
What the sources say
- Supportedcites [33] Valtorta, 2016, Loneliness and social isolation as risk factors for coronary heart disease and stroke: systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal observational studies, Heart source
The Discussion (Summary of findings and comparison with other work) reports increased risks of incident coronary heart disease and stroke associated with poor social relationships, including social isolation. Citation [33] is attached only to cardiovascular disease and stroke; the diabetes and cognitive-function claims have separate citations. (LLM, conf=0.92)
- Partly supportedcites [34] Brinkhues, 2017, Socially isolated individuals are more prone to have newly diagnosed and prevalent type 2 diabetes mellitus - the Maastricht study, BMC Publ Health sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Conclusions report that more socially isolated men and women more frequently had type 2 diabetes, but say this was not observed for pre-diabetes. They link lack of social participation to pre-diabetes in women. Because this study was cross-sectional, its findings do not establish increased risk of developing either condition. (LLM, conf=0.86)
- Supportedcites [35] Evans, 2019, Social isolation and cognitive function in later life: a systematic review and meta-analysis, J Alzheimers Dis source
The Discussion reports that low social activity and poor social networks are significantly associated with poor cognitive function in later life. Citation [35] is attached specifically to the cognitive-function part of the citing sentence, not to its cardiovascular or diabetes claims. (LLM, conf=0.93)
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
- Supported
In the paper
“Humans are a social species, and the proximity of others and social behavior is critical for development, reproduction, health, and survival [11].”
§ Social Isolation: An Underappreciated Determinant of Physical Health > Physical Health Implications of Social Isolation
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [11] Chen, 2018, Neural circuit mechanisms of social behavior, Neuron source
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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It may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Since then, several large-scale epidemiological studies have documented robust associations between social isolation and mortality [17][18][19][20][21], demonstrating effects comparable to traditional clinical risk factors [22].”
§ Social Isolation: An Underappreciated Determinant of Physical Health > Mortality
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [17] Park, 2021, Association of social isolation of long-term care facilities in the United States with 30-day mortality, JAMA Netw Open source
- Not checked yetcites [22] Pantell, 2013, Social isolation: a predictor of mortality comparable to traditional clinical risk factors, Am J Publ Health source
boostedcorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
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It may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“These studies show that animals housed in isolation are at greater risk for various deleterious outcomes, including mortality, recovery from a stroke [12], and alterations in the gut microbiome [13].”
§ Social Isolation: An Underappreciated Determinant of Physical Health > Physical Health Implications of Social Isolation
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [12] Verma, 2016, Reversal of the detrimental effects of post-stroke social isolation by pair-housing is mediated by activation of BDNF-MAPK/ERK in aged mice, Sci Rep source
- Not checked yetcites [13] Donovan, 2020, Social isolation alters behavior, the gut-immune-brain axis, and neurochemical circuits in male and female prairie voles, Neurobiol Stress source
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“These findings have led some researchers to propose a multi-factorial approach to social connections, including the structure, function, and quality of relationships, which is critical in understanding the full scope of potential pathways to health risk when insufficient and heath protection when present [2,4].”
§ Social Isolation: An Underappreciated Determinant of Physical Health > Introduction
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [2] Holt-Lunstad, 2017, Advancing social connection as a public health priority in the United States, Am Psychol source
- Not checked yetcites [4] Holt-Lunstad, 2018, Why social relationships are important for physical health: a systems approach to understanding and modifying risk and protection, Annu Rev Psychol source
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: fails — It may be too vague to check against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“It argues that social isolation is a critical factor in a broader multi-factorial conceptualization of social connection that conveys significant independent risk to health and mortality.”
§ Social Isolation: An Underappreciated Determinant of Physical Health > Abstract
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“By contrast, the Amsterdam Longitudinal Study of Ageing found loneliness rather than isolation predicted mortality in men but not women [32].”
§ Social Isolation: An Underappreciated Determinant of Physical Health > Mortality
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [32] Holwerda, 2012, Increased risk of mortality associated with social isolation in older men: only when feeling lonely? Results from the Amsterdam Study of the Elderly (AMSTEL), Psychol Med source
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“Generally, according to a recent expert consensus report, the evidence linking social isolation to morbidity outcomes is strongest for the association between social isolation and cardiovascular and mental health outcomes, with fewer studies examining relationships to other health outcomes [1].”
§ Social Isolation: An Underappreciated Determinant of Physical Health > Morbidity
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [1] 2020
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“For example, one meta-analysis of 70 prospective studies found that social isolation was associated with 29% and loneliness a 26% increased risk for premature mortality from all causes [23].”
§ Social Isolation: An Underappreciated Determinant of Physical Health > Mortality
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [23] Holt-Lunstad, 2015, Loneliness and social isolation as risk factors for mortality: a meta-analytic review, Perspect Psychol Sci source
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“In one study, social isolation (as indicated by small network size) and loneliness were both independently associated with lower antibody responses to an influenza vaccine; however, those who were both lonely and isolated had the lowest antibody response [42].”
§ Social Isolation: An Underappreciated Determinant of Physical Health > Biomechanisms
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [42] Pressman, 2005, Loneliness, social network size, and immune response to influenza vaccination in college freshmen, Health Psychol source
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“For example, although individual components of isolation, such as living alone, have been associated with increased risk of Type 2 diabetes [37] more comprehensive measures have not been associated with diabetes onset [38].”
§ Social Isolation: An Underappreciated Determinant of Physical Health > Morbidity
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [37] Meisinger, 2009, Living alone is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in men but not women from the general population: the MONICA/KORA Augsburg Cohort Study, Psychosom Med source
- Not checked yetcites [38] Hackett, 2020, Loneliness and type 2 diabetes incidence: findings from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, Diabetologia source
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“Data from three waves of nationally representative data shows size of one's network, non-kin ties, and community involvement to be stable [45].”
§ Social Isolation: An Underappreciated Determinant of Physical Health > Why is social isolation such a powerful predictor of health?
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [45] Cornwall, 2021, Homeostasis revisited: patterns of stability and rebalancing in older adults' social lives, J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci source
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“However, the evidence on group-based interventions is mixed [1] and may need to be tailored to be more responsive to individual needs [1].”
§ Social Isolation: An Underappreciated Determinant of Physical Health > Implications for Intervention
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [1] 2020
hedged- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The evidence does not diminish the importance of relationship functions (e.g., social support) or quality (e.g., relationship satisfaction, loneliness).”
§ Social Isolation: An Underappreciated Determinant of Physical Health > Conclusion
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
In the paper
“A meta-analysis of cohort and case-control studies involving more than 2.3 million participants found that social isolation was associated with increased risk for dementia while loneliness was not significantly associated with risk [36].”
§ Social Isolation: An Underappreciated Determinant of Physical Health > Morbidity
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [36] Penninkilampi, 2018, The association between social engagement, loneliness, and risk of dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis, J Alzheim Dis
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“In other words, the structural foundation is necessary but may not be sufficient.”
§ Social Isolation: An Underappreciated Determinant of Physical Health > Why is social isolation such a powerful predictor of health?
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The narrower the foundation and/or the wider any gaps, the more socially isolated an individual is, and the more tenuous and vulnerable the other social components may become.”
§ Social Isolation: An Underappreciated Determinant of Physical Health > Why is social isolation such a powerful predictor of health?
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: fails — It may be too vague to check against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence. It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“An investigation of 1,267 older people with cardiovascular disease in China reported that social isolation was linked to increased mortality risk over ten years after taking other risk factors into account, while loneliness was not [27].”
§ Social Isolation: An Underappreciated Determinant of Physical Health > Mortality
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [27] Yu, 2020, Social isolation, loneliness, and all-cause mortality in patients with cardiovascular disease: a 10-year follow-up study, Psychosom Med source
plaincorrelationaln = 1,267- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
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- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“Despite these relative differences, the aggregate effect sizes were not statistically different, suggesting both social isolation and loneliness may equivalently predict mortality risk.”
§ Social Isolation: An Underappreciated Determinant of Physical Health > Mortality
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [23] Holt-Lunstad, 2015, Loneliness and social isolation as risk factors for mortality: a meta-analytic review, Perspect Psychol Sci source
hedged- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“Additional evidence further suggests aspects of social isolation were associated with higher levels of inflammation, whereas loneliness was associated with poorer regulation of inflammation, suggesting objective and subjective aspects of social connections may influence different biological pathways [43].”
§ Social Isolation: An Underappreciated Determinant of Physical Health > Biomechanisms
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [43] Walker, 2019, Social engagement and loneliness are differentially associated with neuro-immune markers in older age: time-varying associations from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, Brain Behav Immun source
hedgedcorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Instead, it underscores the evidence supporting the inclusion of social isolation as a significant and necessary component of the multi-factorial understanding of social health and health risk.”
§ Social Isolation: An Underappreciated Determinant of Physical Health > Conclusion
boosted- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: fails — It may be too vague to check against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Interventions involving social groups demonstrate effects of greater social connection, better mental health [46], and better management of mild-moderate depression [47].”
§ Social Isolation: An Underappreciated Determinant of Physical Health > Implications for Intervention
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [46] Haslam, 2016, Groups 4 Health: evidence that a social-identity intervention that builds and strengthens social group membership improves mental health, J Affect Disord source
- Not checked yetcites [47] Dingle, 2021, The effects of social group interventions for depression: systematic review, J Affect Disord source
boosteddirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
The paper relies on this without support.
Social ties influence health and well-being through meeting physical, emotional, and cognitive needs.
“Social relationships affect health and well-being via fulfilling a variety of physical, emotional, and cognitive needs.”
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“We have strictly delineated between structural, functional, and quality markers of social connections.3”
From Associations between social connections and cognition: a global collaborative individual participant data meta-analysis (2022) · cites this paper as [3]
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.
Rated minor: it would not touch a result — a value no result rests on, a p-value that stays on the same side of the significance level, or a conflict that is clerical, resolved elsewhere in the paper, or outside its own findings.
In the paper
§ Social Isolation: An Underappreciated Determinant of Physical Health > Mortality
“An investigation of 1,267 older people with cardiovascular disease in China reported that social isolation was linked to increased mortality risk over ten years after taking other risk factors into account, while loneliness was not [27].”
§ Social Isolation: An Underappreciated Determinant of Physical Health > References
“In a 10 year follow-up of a Tawanes cohort of 1265 patients with CHD, social isolation and loneliness were both evaluated as predictors of mortality.”
Citations
Cites
Social Relationships and Mortality Risk: A Meta-analytic Review
Holt-Lunstad, J., Smith, T. B., & Layton, J. B. (2010) · PLoS Medicine · doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1000316 · Cited by 7,272
Self-citationLoneliness and Social Isolation as Risk Factors for Mortality: A Meta-Analytic Review
Holt-Lunstad, J., Smith, T. B., Baker, M., Harris, T., & Stephenson, D. (2015) · Perspectives on Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/1745691614568352 · Cited by 6,043
Self-citationBERKMAN, L. F., & SYME, S. L. (1979) · American Journal of Epidemiology · doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a112674 · Cited by 5,341
From social integration to health: durkheim in the new millennium
Berkman, L. F., Glass, T., Brissette, I., & Seeman, T. E. (2000) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/s0277-9536(00)00065-4 · Cited by 4,821
Social isolation, loneliness, and all-cause mortality in older men and women
Steptoe, A., Shankar, A., Demakakos, P., & Wardle, J. (2013) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1219686110 · Cited by 2,503
Self-citationLeigh-Hunt, N., Bagguley, D., Bash, K., Turner, V., Turnbull, S., Valtorta, N., & Caan, W. (2017) · Public Health · doi:10.1016/j.puhe.2017.07.035 · Cited by 2,158
Valtorta, N. K., Kanaan, M., Gilbody, S., Ronzi, S., & Hanratty, B. (2016) · Heart · doi:10.1136/heartjnl-2015-308790 · Cited by 1,971
HOUSE, J. S., ROBBINS, C., & METZNER, H. L. (1982) · American Journal of Epidemiology · doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a113387 · Cited by 1,381
SOCIAL SUPPORT AND MORTALITY IN AN ELDERLY COMMUNITY POPULATION1
Blazer, D. G. (1982) · American Journal of Epidemiology · doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a113351 · Cited by 1,019
Advancing social connection as a public health priority in the United States.
Holt-Lunstad, J., Robles, T. F., & Sbarra, D. A. (2017) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037/amp0000103 · Cited by 978
Self-citation
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Loneliness and Social Isolation: A Multi-Country Study
O’Sullivan, R., Burns, A., Leavey, G., Leroi, I., Burholt, V., Lubben, J., Holt‐Lunstad, J., Victor, C. R., LAWLOR, B. A., Vilar‐Compte, M., et al. (2021) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph18199982 · Cited by 239
Self-citationSamtani, S., Mahalingam, G., Lam, B. C. P., Lipnicki, D. M., Lima-Costa, M. F., Blay, S. L., Castro-Costa, E., Shifu, X., Guerchet, M., Preux, P.-M., et al. (2022) · The Lancet Healthy Longevity · doi:10.1016/s2666-7568(22)00199-4 · Cited by 151
Jester, D. J., Thomas, M. L., Sturm, E. T., Harvey, P. D., Keshavan, M. S., Davis, B. J., Saxena, S., Tampi, R. R., Leutwyler, H. C., Compton, M. T., et al. (2023) · Schizophrenia Bulletin · doi:10.1093/schbul/sbad023 · Cited by 121
The state of loneliness and social isolation research: current knowledge and future directions
Taylor, H. O., Cudjoe, T., Bu, F., & Lim, M. H. (2023) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-023-15967-3 · Cited by 147
Herbener, A. B., & Damholdt, M. F. (2025) · International Journal of Human-Computer Studies · doi:10.1016/j.ijhcs.2024.103409 · Cited by 107
Metadata
- Authors
- Holt-Lunstad, J., & Steptoe, A.
- Affiliations
- University College London (GB)
- Venue
- Current Opinion in Psychology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2022-02
- Volume
- 43
- Pages
- 232-237
- ISSN
- 2352-250X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W3185007021
- Semantic Scholar
- 87f945e92cc5abfb363625289c5e0892d3557383
- Cited by
- 216
- References
- 47
- Citations by year
- 2026: 49 · 2025: 61 · 2024: 48 · 2023: 34 · 2022: 23
- FWCI
- 2.85
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- discovery.ucl.ac.uk
- Licence
- Locations
- Current Opinion in Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
- Keywords
- social isolation, physical health, mortality, social connectedness, loneliness, social proximity, social contact, well-being, relationship quality
- MeSH terms
- Humans, Loneliness, Social Isolation
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
A language model drew the claims from the paper on 2026-10-05, under version 3 of the claim definition (model deepseek-v4.1-flash, prompt extract-v3).
A second model labelled each claim on 2026-10-05 (model jev-1.13-20260917, definition revision gold-guideline-v0.2).
Cited sources are checked with a language model’s help (gpt-6-sol).
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
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