Social Connection

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Positive social connections and relationships affect our physical, mental and emotional health. Leveraging the power of relationships and social networks can help reinforce healthy behaviors.

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Loneliness and Social Isolation as a Risk Factor

Group Medical Visits as a Platform for Health Care

Meaning - a Key "Upstream" Determinant of Health & Well-being

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Article from the Journal of Family Practice Positive Social Connection: A Key Pillar of Lifestyle Medicine

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Social connections and relationships affect our physical, mental and emotional health. Research shows that the single most important predictor of human happiness and long life is having strong social connections. Health-related measures like blood pressure and heart rate improve even with short positive social interactions.

Learn more about social connectedness and its potential impact on health and well-being in this article published in the Journal of Family Practice.

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Social connections and relationships affect our physical, mental and emotional health. Setting goals is a great way to increase your sense of connection.

It’s often easier to achieve positive goals. An example of a positive social connection goal is, “I will increase my feeling of social connectedness by joining a group fitness class that meets for an hour, three nights of the week.”

What do you do to strengthen your social connections?

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Research shows that having social connection is a key factor in human happiness and quality longevity.^{21, 22}
Social connections and relationships affect our physical, mental and emotional health,²³ including prevention of dementia in older age.²⁴
In addition, people are more likely to adopt the health behaviors of others in their immediate social networks, including alcohol consumption,²⁵ exercise,²⁶ and diet.²⁷
Leveraging the power of social connections and social networks can help reinforce healthy behaviors.²⁸

21. Trudel-Fitzgerald C, Zevon ES, Kawachi I, Tucker-Seeley RD, Grodstein F, Kubzansky LD. The Prospective Association of Social Integration With Life Span and Exceptional Longevity in Women. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2020;75(10):2132-2141. http://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbz116

22. Helliwell JF LR, Sachs J, De Neve J-E, eds,. 2020,. World Happiness Report 2020 Sustainable Solutions Network.

23. Holt-Lunstad J. Social Connection as a Public Health Issue: The Evidence and a Systemic Framework for Prioritizing the “Social” in Social Determinants of Health. Annual Review of Public Health. 2022;43(1):193-213. http://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-052020-110732

24. Fratiglioni L, Marseglia A, Dekhtyar S. Ageing without dementia: can stimulating psychosocial and lifestyle experiences make a difference? Lancet Neurol. 2020;19(6):533-543. http://doi.org/10.1016/s1474-4422(20)30039-9

25. Rosenquist JN MJ, Fowler J, Christakis N. The Spread of Alcohol Consumption Behavior in a Large Social Network. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2010;152(7):426-433. http://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-152-7-201004060-00007 %m 20368648

26. Patterson MS, Amo CE, Prochnow T, Heinrich KM. Exploring social networks relative to various types of exercise self-efficacy within CrossFit participants. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology. 2021:1-20. http://doi.org/10.1080/1612197X.2021.1987961

27. Gudzune KA, Peyton J, Pollack CE, et al. Perceived Diet and Exercise Behaviors Among Social Network Members With Personal Lifestyle Habits of Public Housing Residents. Health Education & Behavior. 2018;45(5):808-816. http://doi.org/10.1177/1090198118757985

28. Valente TW, Pitts SR. An Appraisal of Social Network Theory and Analysis as Applied to Public Health: Challenges and Opportunities. Annual Review of Public Health. 2017;38(1):103-118. http://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-031816-044528