Cited by 554Stress Responses and CortisolNeuroendocrine regulation and behaviorHealth disparities and outcomes

Social isolation

Open access
Cacioppo, John T., Hawkley, Louise C., Norman, Greg J., Berntson, Gary G.·2011·Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences

Abstract

Social species, by definition, form organizations that extend beyond the individual. These structures evolved hand in hand with behavioral, neural, hormonal, cellular, and genetic mechanisms to support them because the consequent social behaviors helped these organisms survive, reproduce, and care for offspring sufficiently long that they too reproduced. Social isolation represents a lens through which to investigate these behavioral, neural, hormonal, cellular, and genetic mechanisms. Evidence from human and nonhuman animal studies indicates that isolation heightens sensitivity to social threats (predator evasion) and motivates the renewal of social connections. The effects of perceived isolation in humans share much in common with the effects of experimental manipulations of isolation in nonhuman social species: increased tonic sympathetic tonus and HPA activation; and decreased inflammatory control, immunity, sleep salubrity, and expression of genes regulating glucocorticoid responses. Together, these effects contribute to higher rates of morbidity and mortality in older adults.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2011.06028.x

Cites

60 of 60 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Claims the paper makes

0 of 71 cited sources checked · 0 supported · 0 flagged

  • Findingcitation

    In that fMRI study, perceived social isolation was inversely related to temporoparietal junction activation when viewing unpleasant pictures of people versus objects.

    “TPJ activation was observed when participants viewed unpleasant pictures of people versus objects and, as would be expected if isolation increases a focus on predator evasion and self-preservation, individual differences in perceived social isolation were inversely related to the amount of activation observed in the TPJ.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [47] Cacioppo JT In the eye of the beholder: individual differences in perceived social isolation predict regional brain activation to social stimuli Journal of cognitive neuroscience 2009 21 83 92 18476760 PMC2810252 source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Findingown data

    In an fMRI study, individual differences in perceived isolation predicted visual cortex activation to unpleasant social versus nonsocial pictures.

    “In an fMRI study, we found that individual differences in perceived isolation predicted the activation of the visual cortex to the presentation of unpleasant social, in contrast to nonsocial, pictures”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [47] Cacioppo JT In the eye of the beholder: individual differences in perceived social isolation predict regional brain activation to social stimuli Journal of cognitive neuroscience 2009 21 83 92 18476760 PMC2810252 source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Findingown data

    Perceived isolation predicted weaker ventral striatum activation to pleasant pictures of people than to equally pleasant pictures of objects.

    “We found that perceived isolation predicted weaker activation of the ventral striatum to pleasant pictures of people than of equally pleasant pictures of objects.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [47] Cacioppo JT In the eye of the beholder: individual differences in perceived social isolation predict regional brain activation to social stimuli Journal of cognitive neuroscience 2009 21 83 92 18476760 PMC2810252 source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Premisecitation

    Social isolation is a significant risk factor for broad morbidity and mortality.

    “They reported that social isolation was a significant risk factor for broad-based morbidity and mortality—a finding that subsequent research has confirmed.2”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites [1] House JS Landis KR Umberson D Social relationships and health Science (New York, N.Y.) 1988 241 540 545 3399889 source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [2] Holt-Lunstad J Smith TB Layton JB Social Relationships and Mortality Risk: A Meta-analytic Review PLoS Medicine 2010 7 e1000316 20668659 PMC2910600 source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Interpretationreasoning

    These shared effects lead to greater morbidity and mortality among older adults.

    “Together, these effects contribute to higher rates of morbidity and mortality in older adults.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • May combine two claims. 26
  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationnone given

    Perceived isolation in humans and experimental isolation in nonhuman social species produce similar effects: higher tonic sympathetic tone and HPA activation, and lower inflammatory control, immunity, sleep quality, and glucocorticoid-regulating gene expression.

    “The effects of perceived isolation in humans share much in common with the effects of experimental manipulations of isolation in nonhuman social species: increased tonic sympathetic tonus and HPA activation, and decreased inflammatory control, immunity, sleep salubrity, and expression of genes regulating glucocorticoid responses.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Social control theory proposes that internalized obligations and overt influence from network members discourage unhealthy behaviors and encourage healthy ones.

    “Social control theory holds that internalized obligations to, and the overt influence of, network members tend to discourage poor health behaviors and encourage good health behaviors.3”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [3] Umberson D Family Status and Health Behaviors: Social Control as a Dimension of Social Integration Journal of Health and Social Behavior 1987 28 306 319 3680922 source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Marriage is associated with a greater likelihood of health-promoting behaviors such as exercise, presumably because spouses influence these behaviors.

    “Being married is associated with an increased likelihood of engaging in health-promoting behaviors such as exercise,5–7 presumably because marital partners exert some influence over these behaviors.8,9”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 5 sources checked
    • cites [5] Pettee K Influence of Marital Status on Physical Activity Levels among Older Adults MEDICINE AND SCIENCE IN SPORTS AND EXERCISE 2006 38 541 546 16540843 source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [6] Satariano W Living Arrangements and Participation in Leisure-Time Physical Activities in an Older Population Journal of Aging and Health 2002 14 427 451 12391994 source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [7] Schmitz K Correlates of Changes in Leisure Time Physical Activity over 2 Years: The Healthy Worker Project Preventive Medicine 1997 26 9245681 source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [8] Umberson D Family Status and Health Behaviors: Social Control as a Dimension of Social Integration Journal of Health and Social Behavior 1987 28 3680922 source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [9] Umberson D Gender, marital status and the social control of health behavior Social science & medicine (1982) 1992 34 1604380 source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationnone given

    Human and nonhuman animal evidence indicates that isolation increases sensitivity to social threats and encourages reconnection.

    “Evidence from human and nonhuman animal studies indicates that isolation heightens sensitivity to social threats (predator evasion) and motivates the renewal of social connections.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
    • Rests on an assumption: Humans need others to survive and prosper.
  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    Across experimental studies, social isolation appears to increase chronic sympathetic tone, oxidative stress, and HPA activation while decreasing inflammatory control, immunity, and glucocorticoid-regulating gene expression.

    “Together, these experimental studies suggest that social isolation increases chronic sympathetic tonus, oxidative stress, and HPA activation while decreasing inflammatory control, immunity, and the expression of genes regulating glucocorticoid responses.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Perceived isolation predicts lifetime IQ change and depressive symptom changes beyond objective isolation.

    “Similarly, perceived isolation has been found to predict lifetime change in IQ36 and changes in depressive symptoms37,38 beyond what could be predicted by objective isolation.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 3 sources checked
    • cites [36] Gow AJ Social support and successful aging: Investigating the relationship between lifetime cognitive change and life satisfaction Journal of Individual Differences 2007 28 103 115 source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [37] Cacioppo JT Loneliness as a specific risk factor for depressive symptoms: cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses Psychology and aging 2006 21 140 151 16594799 source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [38] Cacioppo JT Hawkley LC Thisted RA Perceived social isolation makes me sad: 5-year cross-lagged analyses of loneliness and depressive symptomatology in the Chicago Health, Aging, and Social Relations Study Psychology and aging 2010 25 453 463 20545429 PMC2922929 source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationcitation

    In longitudinal studies, perceived isolation effects resemble experimental isolation effects in nonhuman social species: higher tonic sympathetic tone and HPA activation, lower inflammatory control and immunity, altered glucocorticoid-regulating gene expression, and glucocorticoid resistance.

    “the effects of perceived isolation in these longitudinal studies share much in common with the effects of experimental manipulations of isolation in nonhuman social species: increased tonic sympathetic tonus and HPA activation and decreased inflammatory control and immunity; expression of genes regulating glucocorticoid responses; and glucocorticoid resistance.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites [21] Cacioppo JT Loneliness as a specific risk factor for depressive symptoms: cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses Psychology and aging 2006 21 140 151 16594799 source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [22] Cacioppo JT Hawkley LC Perceived social isolation and cognition Trends in cognitive sciences 2009 13 447 454 19726219 PMC2752489 source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationcitation

    Behavioral and fMRI evidence suggests social isolation increases attention to negative social stimuli and motivation to reconnect.

    “Evidence from behavioral and fMRI studies suggest that social isolation increases attention to negative social stimuli (e.g., social threats) as well as increased motivation to reconnect.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites [47] Cacioppo JT In the eye of the beholder: individual differences in perceived social isolation predict regional brain activation to social stimuli Journal of cognitive neuroscience 2009 21 83 92 18476760 PMC2810252 source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [48] Yamada M Decety J Unconscious affective processing and empathy: an investigation of subliminal priming on the detection of painful facial expressions Pain 2009 143 71 75 19254825 source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Perceived, but not objective, social isolation is linked to lower expression of anti-inflammatory glucocorticoid response element genes and higher expression of pro-inflammatory NK-κB/Rel transcription factor genes.

    “Perceived (but not objective) social isolation has also been associated with gene expression—specifically, the under-expression of genes bearing anti-inflammatory glucocorticoid response elements and over-expression of genes bearing response elements for pro-inflammatory NK-κB/Rel transcription factors.32”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [32] Cole SW Social regulation of gene expression in human leukocytes Genome biology 2007 8 R189 17854483 PMC2375027 source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Social isolation increases 24-hour urinary catecholamines and evidence of oxidative stress in the aortic arch of Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic rabbits.

    “increases the 24 hour urinary catecholamines levels and evidence of oxidative stress in the aortic arch of the Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic rabbit;19”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [19] Nation DA The effect of social environment on markers of vascular oxidative stress and inflammation in the Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic rabbit Psychosomatic medicine 2008 70 269 275 18256340 source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationcitation

    Recent research suggests loneliness-related social pain evolved as a signal of weakening connections and to motivate repair and maintenance of connections needed for health, well-being, and gene survival.

    “Recent research suggests that the social pain of loneliness evolved as a signal that one’s connections to others are weakening and to motivate the repair and maintenance of the connections to others that are needed for our health and well-being and for the survival of our genes.43”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [43] Cacioppo JT Patrick B Loneliness: Human nature and the need for social connection 2008 New York W. W. Norton & Company

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Social isolation increases obesity and Type 2 diabetes in mice.

    “increases obesity and Type 2 diabetes in mice;14”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [14] Nonogaki K Nozue K Oka Y Social isolation affects the development of obesity and type 2 diabetes in mice Endocrinology 2007 148 4658 4666 17640995 source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationcitation

    Perceived social isolation predicts greater vascular resistance, higher blood pressure, morning cortisol rise, poorer sleep, and sedentary lifestyles beyond what objective isolation predicts.

    “Beyond what is predicted by objective isolation, perceived isolation predicts greater vascular resistance,26 elevated blood pressure,27,28 morning rise in cortisol,29 less salubrious sleep,28,30 and sedentary lifestyles.31”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 4 sources checked
    • cites [26] Cacioppo JT Loneliness and Health: Potential Mechanisms Psychosomatic Medicine 2002 64 407 417 12021415 source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [27] Hawkley LC Loneliness is a unique predictor of age-related differences in systolic blood pressure Psychology and Aging 2006 21 152 164 16594800 source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [28] Hawkley LC Preacher KJ Cacioppo JT Loneliness impairs daytime functioning but not sleep duration Health psychology: official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association 2010 29 124 129 PMC2841303 20230084 source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [29] Adam EK Day-to-day dynamics of experience--cortisol associations in a population-based sample of older adults Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2006 103 17058 17063 17075058 PMC1636578 source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Objective social isolation can influence perceptions of isolation, but perceived isolation relates more to interaction quality than quantity.

    “Studies using these assessments indicate that objective social isolation can affect perceptions of isolation,23,24 but show that perceived social isolation is more closely related to the quality than the quantity of social interactions.25”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 3 sources checked
    • cites [23] Hawkley LC From social structure factors to perceptions of relationship quality and loneliness: The Chicago Health, Aging, and Social Relations Study Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences 2008 63B S375 S384 PMC2769562 19092047 source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [24] Ruiz J Emotional Climate in Organizations: Applications in Latin American Prisons Journal of Social Issues 2007 63 289 306 source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [25] Hawkley LC From social structural factors to perceptions of relationship quality and loneliness: the Chicago health, aging, and social relations study The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences 2008 63 S375 S384 PMC2769562 19092047 source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • Rests on an assumption: The presence of others, even ostensive friends, may constitute a social threat at any moment in time.
    • Rests on an assumption: The objective presence of others is not sufficient to ensure the social connections needed for human survival and prosperity.
  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Social isolation decreases open field activity, raises basal cortisol, and reduces lymphocyte proliferation to mitogens in pigs.

    “decreases open field activity, increases in basal cortisol concentrations, and decreases in lymphocyte proliferation to mitogens in pigs;18”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [18] Kanitz E Consequences of repeated early isolation in domestic piglets (Susscrofa) on their behavioural, neuroendocrine, and immunological responses Brain, Behavior, and Immunity 2004 18 35 45 14651945 source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Social isolation increases infarct size and edema and lowers post-stroke survival in mice after experimentally induced stroke, due to elevated proinflammatory cytokines.

    “increases infarct size and edema and decreases the post-stroke survival rate following experimentally induced stroke in mice due to elevated levels of proinflammatorycytokines;13”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [13] Karelina K Estrous phase alters social behavior in a polygynous but not a monogamous Peromyscus species Hormones and behavior 2010 58 193 199 20382149 source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    In an experience sampling study, isolated individuals had more negative and less satisfying social interactions, which contributed to later negative moods and interactions.

    “An experience sampling study, in which participants were beeped randomly nine times per day for seven days, confirmed that the social interactions of individuals who feel isolated, in contrast to connected, were more negative and less satisfying, and such interactions contributed subsequently to more negative moods and interactions.41”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [41] Hawkley LC Preacher KJ Cacioppo JT Multilevel modeling of social interactions and mood in lonely and social connected individuals: the MacArthur Social Neuroscience Studies Oxford Handbook of Methods in Positive Psychology 2007 559 575

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Lonely individuals were more sensitive to pain in dislikable faces than nonlonely individuals, although pain was detected more easily in dislikable than likable faces overall.

    “Using signal detection analyses, they found that although the pain was more easily detected in dislikable than likable faces overall, lonely individuals were more sensitive (d’) to the presence of pain in dislikable faces than were nonlonely individuals.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [48] Yamada M Decety J Unconscious affective processing and empathy: an investigation of subliminal priming on the detection of painful facial expressions Pain 2009 143 71 75 19254825 source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Isolated individuals showed greater Stroop interference for negative social versus negative non-social words, with no difference for positive social versus positive non-social words.

    “Using a modified emotional Stroop task, individuals who felt isolated, relative to those who felt connected, showed greater Stroop interference, specifically for negative social relative to negative non-social words.47 No differences were found in Stroop interference for positive social relative to positive non-social words.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [47] Cacioppo JT In the eye of the beholder: individual differences in perceived social isolation predict regional brain activation to social stimuli Journal of cognitive neuroscience 2009 21 83 92 18476760 PMC2810252 source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Experimental manipulation of social isolation and imagined future isolation cause cognitive and behavioral changes without altering objective isolation.

    “Experimental manipulation of social isolation39 and imagined future isolation40 result in cognitive and behavioral changes even though objective isolation is not altered in these experimental studies.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites [39] Cacioppo JT Loneliness within a nomological net: An evolutionary perspective Journal of Research in Personality 2006 40 1054 1085 source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [40] Baumeister RF Twenge JM Nuss CK Effects of social exclusion on cognitive processes: anticipated aloneness reduces intelligent thought Journal of personality and social psychology 2002 83 817 827 12374437 source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Rat ultrasonic vocalizations to isolation are reduced by anxiolytics acting on benzodiazepine and serotonin receptors and increased by anxiogenics such as FG7142.

    “These ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) to isolation are attenuated in a dose-related fashion by anxiolytics that act on benzodiazepine and serotonin receptors and are exaggerated by anxiogenics such as the benzodiazepine receptor partial inverse agonist FG7142.64”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [64] Brunelli SA Hofer MA Selective breeding for an infantile phenotype (isolation calling): A window on development processes Handbook of Behavioral Neurobiology 2001 433 482 source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    In isolation, this signal prompts alertness to social threats (predator evasion) and renewal of connections needed for survival and prosperity.

    “In the case of isolation, the signal is a prompt to be alert to social threats (predator evasion) and to renew the connections we need to survive and prosper.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationcitation

    No single intensity of isolation USVs is universally best, and heritable individual differences in this predisposition exist in the population.

    “As a consequence, no single level of intensity of USVs to isolation is universally best, and heritable individual differences in this predisposition exist in the population.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [45] Hofer MA Developmental neuroscience Handbook of Neuroscience for the Behavioral Sciences 2009 12 31 source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    After 25 generations of selective breeding for high versus low separation USVs, high-line rats showed more infant distress, longer latency to play, and more depression-like, anxiety-like, social interaction latency, startle, and learning deficits as adults; low-line rats were exploratory, active, and aggressive.

    “After 25 generations of selective breeding, differences in behavior between the two lines of rats were reminiscent of some of the differences observed in humans who are high or low in perceived isolation:22 the high, relative to low, USV line showed more distress to isolation as an infant; greater latency to play as an adolescent; and greater depression-like behaviors, greater anxiety-like Behavi”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 3 sources checked
    • cites [65] Brunelli S Hofer MA Selective breeding for infant rat separation-induced ultrasonic vocalizations: Developmental precursors of passive and active coping styles Behavioural brain research 2007 182 193 17543397 PMC2759113 source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [22] Cacioppo JT Hawkley LC Perceived social isolation and cognition Trends in cognitive sciences 2009 13 447 454 19726219 PMC2752489 source

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites [45] Hofer MA Developmental neuroscience Handbook of Neuroscience for the Behavioral Sciences 2009 12 31 source

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    Perceived isolation in humans is a complex phenotype, so attachment may not be its only evolutionary basis.

    “Moreover, perceived isolation in humans represents a complex phenotype, so attachment may not represent its sole evolutionary basis.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Neuroanatomical studies point to the periaqueductal grey as a neural substrate for rat USVs and to the hypothalamus, amygdala, thalamus, hippocampus, and cingulate cortex as substrates for primate isolation calls.

    “Neuroanatomical studies reviewed by Hofer45 point to the periaquaductal grey area as a neural substrate for these USVs in rats and the hypothalamus, amygdala, thalamus, hippocampus, and cingulate cortex as the neural substrates for isolation calls in primates.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [45] Hofer MA Developmental neuroscience Handbook of Neuroscience for the Behavioral Sciences 2009 12 31 source

      Not checked in the free run.

26 of 26
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Humans need others to survive and prosper.

    “In ontogeny and phylogeny, humans need others to survive and prosper.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The presence of others, even ostensive friends, may constitute a social threat at any moment in time.

    “Given shifting alliances and malleable social hierarchies, the presence of others, even ostensive friends, may constitute a social threat at any moment in time.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The objective presence of others is not sufficient to ensure the social connections needed for human survival and prosperity.

    “The objective presence of others, therefore, is not sufficient to ensure the social connections needed for human survival and prosperity.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Early in human history, survival and prosperity depended on banding together in couples, families, and tribes for mutual protection and assistance.

    “Early in our history as a species, we survived and prospered only by banding together—in couples, in families, in tribes—to provide mutual protection and assistance.”
4 of 4

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?

  • Both social isolation and loneliness are related to physiologic responses, including increased blood pressure and heightened inflammatory reactivity to stress.

    “as well as physiologic responses, including increased blood pressure and heightened inflammatory reactivity to stress [30–34].”

    From Examining social isolation and loneliness in combination in relation to social support and psychological distress using Canadian Longitudinal Study of Aging (CLSA) data (2020) · cites this paper as [32]

    The ‘Social isolation in humans’ section reports elevated blood pressure and pro-inflammatory gene expression associated with perceived social isolation (loneliness), beyond what objective isolation predicts. The Introduction and Summary describe decreased inflammatory control, but the cited passages do not establish heightened inflammatory reactivity specifically to stress or attribute both responses to objective isolation as well as loneliness. No page numbers are available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Loneliness predicts both mental and physical health challenges.

    “Because loneliness has been shown to predict both mental and physical health challenges (Cacioppo et al., 2011, Leigh-Hunt et al., 2017), these findings also provide new insights for interventions.”
  • Health behaviors and physiologic mechanisms are likely, in part, responsible for the negative health outcomes associated with social isolation and loneliness.

    “Health behaviors and physiologic mechanisms are likely, in part, responsible for the negative health outcomes associated with social isolation and loneliness [31–34].”
  • People's perceptions of social isolation (loneliness) are a more powerful determinant of well-being than objective social isolation.

    “a number of recent studies indicate that people's perceptions of social isolation (i.e., how lonely they feel)—a variable that we assessed in this study, which did not influence our results—are a more powerful determinant of well-being than objective social isolation [25].”
  • High self-reported loneliness in humans is associated with elevated daily cortisol output and a flatter diurnal cortisol rhythm, suggesting poor HPA regulation.

    “high self-reported loneliness in humans has been associated with elevated daily cortisol output62–66 and a flattening of diurnal cortisol rhythm65, suggesting poor regulation of the HPA axis67.”

    From Neural mechanisms of social homeostasis (2019) · cites this paper as [67]

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

1 of the 61 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 6

  1. 10.2307/2136848 · DOI · Paper page
  2. 10.1016/0277-9536(92)90259-S · DOI · Paper page
  3. 10.1093/geronb/63.6.S375 · DOI · Paper page
  4. 10.1037/a0014400 · DOI · Paper page
  5. 10.1037/0882-7974.21.1.140 · DOI · Paper page
  6. Cacioppo J.T., Handbook of Social Exclusion

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Cacioppo, J. T., Hawkley, L. C., Norman, G. J., & Berntson, G. G.
Affiliations
  • University of Chicago (US)
  • The Ohio State University (US)
Corresponding author
Cacioppo, John T.
Venue
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2011-06-08
Volume
1231
Issue
1
Pages
17-22
ISSN
  • 0077-8923 (ISSN-L)
  • 1749-6632
OpenAlex
W2332324138
Cited by
554
References
61
Citations by year
2026: 26 · 2025: 54 · 2024: 44 · 2023: 58 · 2022: 70 · 2021: 73 · 2020: 43 · 2019: 33 · 2018: 17 · 2017: 27 · 2016: 18 · 2015: 38 · 2014: 20 · 2013: 21 · 2012: 10
FWCI
1.44
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health (Z99 RG999999)
  • National Institute on Aging (R37AG033590, R01AG034052)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
  • Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
Keywords
social isolation, social behavior, social danger, predator escape, social connectedness, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, sympathetic nervous system, inflammation, immunity, sleep, glucocorticoid response, gene expression, aging, morbidity and mortality
MeSH terms
Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Animals, Behavior, Animal, Humans, Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System, Interpersonal Relations, Loneliness, Mental Health, Pituitary-Adrenal System, Quality of Life, 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.

Claims read by deepseek-v4.1-flash under definition version 3 (extract-v3) on 2026-10-04.

Classified by jev-1.13-20260917 (gold-guideline-v0.2) on 2026-10-04.

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