Nature Communications · 11 September 2026 · From issue 35
Chronic loneliness and isolation phenotypes and physical and mental health in older adults
Long term loneliness in older adults links to worse health, weaker daily function, and lower mental wellbeing.
Yuteng Ma, Jessica K. Bone et al.
Older adults who felt lonely for a long time faced more health problems than those who did not. This held true for general health, daily function, mental wellbeing, and healthy habits like not smoking. People who stopped feeling isolated later on actually showed better mental wellbeing and thinking skills. The study followed 4,090 older adults in England over time and checked 17 different health measures.
The number of people followed over time to check 17 health outcomes linked to loneliness and isolation.
One English aging study, self reported feelings, cannot prove cause.
Integrity screen: passed (3 checks) Checked 12 September 2026. Retraction record: none. DOI resolves at doi.org. Metadata record found (Nature Communications). Read the source
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