A growing body of research points to strong links between social isolation, or lack of social connections, and loneliness, the feeling of being disconnected regardless of human contact.
People who are lonely may also have active pituitary hypothalamus hormones that are released under stress, which could account for negative heart effects, Goodlin said.“The actual causation is just proposed – it has not been determined,” Goodlin said. “There are no answers right now.”Loneliness is the feeling of being alone or disconnected, despite having human contact, while social isolation is having little interaction with other people and few social connections.
“Finding ways to minimize loneliness is not simply an ask to live like a socialite or change your entire life or become an extrovert and party all night," she continued. "This is about your health.”While there is plenty of research on the health effects of loneliness, there has been little exploration into solutions.
“Loneliness isn't as strong when we engage in activities that are meaningful for us, that give us the opportunity to be authentic,” said John Dattilo, PhD, a professor in Penn State University’s Recreation, Park and Tourism Management Department, and a co-author of the paper.