The effects of social isolation stress and discrimination on mental health

Summary & key facts

This paper reviews animal and human research about social isolation and discrimination. It says being isolated or treated unfairly is tied to worse physical and mental health. Animal studies show early isolation turns on the body's stress system and changes important brain chemicals. Children, people facing racism or exclusion, and older adults during quarantine seem especially affected. The authors call for better ways to include people and for mental health services that use gender- and culture-sensitive digital tools, but they also say we still need more work to turn lab findings into real-world treatments.

Key facts:

• The authors looked at research from animals and people, plus clinical studies and ideas for interventions, to put the evidence together in one place.
• Social isolation and discrimination are linked with poorer physical health, worse mental health, higher illness, and lower quality of life.
• Animal studies show that social separation, especially early in life, activates the body's stress system (the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system) and changes brain chemicals, including lowering how much serotonin is turned over and alter
• The same brain chemical systems affected by isolation in animals are involved in human problems such as addiction, psychosis, and mood disorders, which suggests a possible biological connection.
• Children may be more vulnerable because early social stress can change the developing brain in ways that last into later life.
• The harmful effects of isolation are stronger in certain situations, like when isolation comes from discrimination or racism, during large-scale quarantines, and among older adults facing social changes.
• The review highlights a need for new strategies to increase social inclusion and outreach, including telemedicine and digital mental health tools that are sensitive to gender and culture.
• The authors note there are still gaps in knowledge about how to translate animal and experimental findings into effective treatments or policies for people.

Abstract

Social isolation and discrimination are growing public health concerns associated with poor physical and mental health. They are risk factors for increased morbidity and mortality and reduced quality of life. Despite their detrimental effects on health, there is a lack of knowledge regarding translation across the domains of experimental research, clinical studies, and real-life applications. Here, we review and synthesize evidence from basic research in animals and humans to clinical translation and interventions. Animal models indicate that social separation stress, particularly in early life, activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and interacts with monoaminergic, glutamatergic, and GABAergic neurotransmitter systems, inducing long-lasting reductions in serotonin turnover and alterations in dopamine receptor sensitivity. These findings are of particular importance for human social isolation stress, as effects of social isolation stress on the same neurotransmitter systems have been implicated in addictive, psychotic, and affective disorders. Children may be particularly vulnerable due to lasting effects of social isolation and discrimination stress on the developing brain. The effects of social isolation and loneliness are pronounced in the context of social exclusion due to discrimination and racism, during widespread infectious disease related containment strategies such as quarantine, and in older persons due to sociodemographic changes. This highlights the importance of new strategies for social inclusion and outreach, including gender, culture, and socially sensitive telemedicine and digital interventions for mental health care.

Topics

Employment and Welfare Studies Health disparities and outcomes Racial and Ethnic Identity Research

Categories

Health Social Sciences

Tags

Biology Clinical psychology Isolation (microbiology) Linguistics Mental health Microbiology Philosophy Psychiatry Psychology Psychotherapist Schizophrenia (object-oriented programming) Social isolation Social stress Stress (linguistics)

Conditions & symptoms

Addiction Anxiety Depression PTSD Substance abuse disorder Addiction or harmful habbits Anxiety or worry Feeling disconnected from others Lack of energy or motivation Sadness or low mood