Self Isolation Can Impact Mental Health And Spike Heart Disease Risk, Study Finds

Today, the COVID-19 outbreak has resulted in people to stay locked indoors to stay safe from the novel coronavirus. While some might use this to enjoy their time, the study suggests that it can have a severe impact on a person¡¯s mental and physical health.

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This is according to Dr Kimnerly Smith, lecturer in Health Psychology at the University of Surrey, who spoke about her study in a recent post on The Conversation. Studies in the past have suggested that loneliness and social isolation has lead to poorer health as it increases inflammation in our body.

In case you didn¡¯t know, inflammation is when our body signals the immune system to produce chemicals to ward off infection or injury. Oddly enough, these also occur when you experience psychological or social stress.

In the long term, this can severely impact our health and result in cardiovascular diseases, depression and dementia.

Smith wanted to look for a link between loneliness with long-term inflammation. She looked at all published studies talking about this association. The researchers discovered 14 studies that looked at loneliness, whereas 16 looked at social isolation.

Inflammatory chemicals causing the trouble

The culprit in this is higher levels of two inflammatory chemicals -- C-reactive protein and fibrinogen.

When people have long-term increase in the levels of the aforementioned inflammatory chemicals, it has linked to a poorer health over time.

According to Smith, ¡°We have evolved to be a social species, so being socially isolated could be a source of stress. And stress has a direct effect on the immune system.It is also possible that we evolved to turn on our immune response when we are isolated. ¡±

She further added, ¡°This is because when alone we could be at a greater risk of being injured. Our immune system may have learned to turn itself on to prepare for this greater risk.¡±

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She, however, thought that there was a less convincing link between loneliness and inflammation. She found some studies that linked loneliness with inflammatory chemical interleukin-6, but it wasn¡¯t consistent.

She concluded, stating, ¡°To best understand how loneliness and social isolation affect health we may need to think about a bigger picture beyond inflammation. This study provides us with a useful first step in understanding part of this bigger picture.¡±

Staying mentally healthy during self-isolation

Even though self-isolation may make you feel lonely, there are ways that can help you not feel this way.

Constantly video-conferencing with your friends, playing video games online, and staying in constant communication can help you ward off the loneliness. Meditating can also help you calm yourself and feel positive.