CoChat
Sign Up
Cited by 1,137Health disparities and outcomesSocial Capital and NetworksCardiac Health and Mental Health

Social ties and health: The benefits of social integration

Seeman, Teresa E.·1996·Annals of Epidemiology
DOI 10.1016/s1047-2797(96)00095-6
Open this paper in CoChat — free account

Abstract

This article explores the relationship between level of social integration and various aspects of health. A search of the literature published since the mid-1970s (under the MEDLINE key words, "social ties," "social network," "social isolation," "social environment") presented strong evidence that social integration leads to reduced mortality risks, and to a better state of mental health. The evidence on physical health outcomes is less conclusive. There is no consistent evidence that social integration affects the incidence of disease (at least for cardiovascular outcomes). However, social integration does appear to have a highly beneficial effect on post-myocardial infarction prognosis (functioning and longevity). A physiologic basis for these effects on health outcomes is also indicated by research demonstrating that both social isolation and nonsupportive social interactions can result in lower immune function and higher neuroendocrine and cardiovascular activity while socially supportive interactions have the opposite effects. In conclusion, available data suggest that, although social integration is generally associated with better health outcomes, the quality of existing ties also appears to influence the extent of such health benefits. Clearly, individuals' networks of social relationships represent dynamic and complex social systems that affect health outcomes.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1016/s1047-2797(96)00095-6

Cites

5 of 5 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Recomputing p-values needs the paper’s full text.

Claims the paper makes

This paper’s full text isn’t openly available, so its claims and self-check weren’t run. The registry and citation checks still apply.

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?

  • Non-systematic reviews have identified similar findings with respect to increased risk of mortality, cardiovascular disease and outcomes, and mental health, with less evidence for other physical health conditions and behaviours.

    “Non-systematic reviews have identified similar findings with respect to increased risk of mortality 59-64 , cardiovascular disease and outcomes 62, 65-72 , mental health 61, 62, 64, 73-90 , with less evidence for other physical health conditions and behaviours 72, 76, 80, 91-93 .”

    From An overview of systematic reviews on the public health consequences of social isolation and loneliness (2017) · cites this paper as [64]

  • Social isolation is associated with increased mortality in the general population of older people.

    “social isolation is associated with increased mortality [21]”

    From Interventions targeting social isolation in older people: a systematic review (2011) · cites this paper as [21]

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Seeman, T. E.
Affiliations
University of Southern California (US)
Corresponding author
Seeman, Teresa E.
ORCID
Seeman, Teresa E.
Venue
Annals of Epidemiology
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
1996-09
Volume
6
Issue
5
Pages
442-451
ISSN
1047-2797 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/s1047-2797(96)00095-6
OpenAlex
W2075476524
Cited by
1,137
References
5
Citations by year
2026: 20 · 2025: 29 · 2024: 32 · 2023: 34 · 2022: 57 · 2021: 59 · 2020: 62 · 2019: 48 · 2018: 52 · 2017: 73 · 2016: 64 · 2015: 55 · 2014: 64 · 2013: 50 · 2012: 64
FWCI
2.05
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
Locations
  • Annals of Epidemiology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
National Institute on Aging (AG00586)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social Capital and Networks
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Cardiac Health and Mental Health
Keywords
social integration, social ties, social isolation, social networks, mortality, mental health, physical health, cardiovascular disease, myocardial infarction prognosis, immune function, neuroendocrine activity, cardiovascular activity, social support
MeSH terms
Health Status, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Mortality, Social Environment

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.

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 ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review