RESEARCH_FILE
Julianne Holt-Lunstad
Brigham Young University
Known for:Meta-analyses establishing social connection as a major predictor of mortality risk
SEE THE PRACTICE
Turn a thought this research explains into one clear move.
THE THOUGHT
“It's too late to make real friends”
YOUR RECORDED RESPONSE
“The hours that make friendship happen weren't seasonal—I just stopped getting them automatically.”
ONE PRIVATE MOVE
Identify one person you see regularly and actually enjoy talking to. Over the next week, simply show up to the same place three times without initiating anything. Note whether they acknowledge you or seem annoyed by your presence.
Key findings
- 2010
Across 148 studies and 308,849 participants, people with stronger social relationships had a 50% increased likelihood of survival — an influence comparable with quitting smoking and exceeding well-established risk factors such as obesity and physical inactivity. Social Relationships and Mortality Risk: A Meta-analytic Review ↗
- 2015
In a meta-analysis of 70 studies, loneliness was associated with a 26% increased likelihood of mortality, social isolation with 29%, and living alone with 32% — with the effects strongest in samples under age 65, countering the idea that disconnection only endangers the old. Loneliness and Social Isolation as Risk Factors for Mortality: A Meta-Analytic Review ↗