Navigation Links
Loneliness May Be Catching
Date:12/1/2009

Study suggests that 'less affirming,' isolating behaviors jump from friend to friend

TUESDAY, Dec. 1 (HealthDay News) -- A new study suggests that lonely people attract fellow "lonelies" and influence others to feel lonely, too.

"Loneliness can spread from person to person to person -- up to three degrees of separation," said James H. Fowler, co-author of the study published in the December issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, and professor of political science at the University of California, San Diego.

"What this means is that if I don't know anything about you, but I know your friend's friend is lonely, then I can do better than chance at predicting whether or not you will be lonely," he said.

Indeed, the study suggests that not only is loneliness contagious, but lonely people tend to isolate themselves in small groups that somehow compound or increase those feelings of solitude.

According to Fowler, the data suggests that the average person feels lonely about 48 days a year, but for the lonely, that feeling can be ever-present. In addition, the study indicated that people who felt lonely were more likely to be friendless, or constantly shedding friends, a few years later: Compared with those who are never lonely, lonely people can lose about 8 percent of their friends over a four-year period, for instance.

Fowler co-authored the findings, funded by the U.S. National Institute on Aging, with John T. Cacioppo, professor at the University of Chicago, and Nicholas A. Christakis, professor at Harvard University. The researchers worked with more than 5,100 participants who were the offspring of the original subjects of the landmark Framingham Heart Study.

The team constructed graphs tracking the participants' ongoing friendship patterns over two to four years. They found that, among neighbors, an increase of loneliness of just one day per week triggered a ri
'/>"/>

Copyright©2009 ScoutNews,LLC.
All rights reserved

0

GOOD

Page: 1 2 3

Related medicine news :

1. Loneliness is bad for your health
2. The politics of the playground: lack of athletic skill often means loneliness and peer rejection
3. Faux Fido eases loneliness in nursing home residents as well as real dog, SLU study finds
4. Holiday Survival Tips: Mitigate Loneliness by Becoming Your Own Holiday Date
5. Few friends combined with loneliness linked to poor mental and physical health for elderly
6. Overweight kids experience more loneliness, anxiety, MU study finds
7. Lack of Social Interaction Affects Health Outcomes of Breast Cancer --Stress from loneliness leads to increased tumor growth, Decrease breast cancer risk by increasing social interaction
8. New survey: Flu Shot Still not Catching on, Especially at Retail Clinics
9. Catching Ovarian Cancer Early May Miss Aggressive Tumors
10. Ovarian cancer screening not catching early disease
11. Colonoscopy Beats Camera Pill at Catching Colon Cancer
Post Your Comments:
*Name:
*Comment:
*Email:
(Date:5/19/2013)... Utah (PRWEB) May 19, 2013 ... on small business health insurance . Zane ... traditional employer sponsored health benefits, is the leader ... and health reimbursement arrangements . , According ... and the self-employed intrinsically know the value of ...
(Date:5/19/2013)... The report “Feed Additives Market by ... up to 2017” published by MarketsandMarkets, defines and segments ... forecasting of the global volume and revenue for the ... restraining factors for the global market with analysis of ... market is segmented and revenue is forecasted on the ...
(Date:5/19/2013)... Dr. Keith Chertok now provides gum disease patients with ... increase the chance of a healthier smile. Laser gum ... not only removes diseased gum tissue in patients, but it ... dental implants. , LANAP uses a laser to ... help stimulate the healthy tissue as well as encourage new ...
(Date:5/19/2013)... Exciting new Skin Brushes are available from ... practice known through the ages but is a lost ... brushing, has so many benefits for our health and ... love that circulation and lymphatic systems get a boost ... is supported through Skin Brushing." , Why is Skin ...
(Date:5/19/2013)... Vedra Beach, Florida (PRWEB) May 19, 2013 ... value and market access, is pleased to unveil a ... trade show environment that provides a powerful array of ... to partners in the US and abroad. , HE-Xpo ... and will offer attendees the look and feel of ...
Breaking Medicine News(10 mins):Health News:Zane Benefits Publishes New Information on Small Business Health Insurance 2Health News:Zane Benefits Publishes New Information on Small Business Health Insurance 3Health News:Feed Additives Market to Reach $19.5 Billion by 2017 at a CAGR of 3.8% - New Report by MarketandMarkets 2Health News:Feed Additives Market to Reach $19.5 Billion by 2017 at a CAGR of 3.8% - New Report by MarketandMarkets 3Health News:Berkeley, CA Periodontist, Dr. Keith Chertok Now Treats Gum Disease Patients With Laser Gum Surgery Prior to Placing Dental Implants 2Health News:Exciting New Skin Brushes at Sublime Beauty® Bring Health and Beauty Benefits; Celebrities and Models Know the Secret 2Health News:HealthEconomics.Com Announces HE-Xpo, a New Virtual Trade Show Devoted to Healthcare Value and Market Access 2Health News:HealthEconomics.Com Announces HE-Xpo, a New Virtual Trade Show Devoted to Healthcare Value and Market Access 3
... Institute scientists, discovery of a cancer-causing gene the first ... how the panoramic view of genomics and the close-up perspective ... involved in cancer and which are mere bystanders. The findings ... Nature . "In the coming years, we can ...
... , ROCHESTER, Minn., June 24 The Mayo Clinic ... collaborative symposium on innovations in health care experience and ... open to the public. It will feature nationally recognized ... in health care delivery models, including Web-based tools. The ...
... finds , WEDNESDAY, June 24 (HealthDay News) -- Monitoring ... drugs to prevent osteoporosis is unnecessary and could be ... researchers analyzed data from a large randomized trial that ... used bisphosphonate) in more than 6,000 postmenopausal women with ...
... Furthering its mission to improve the quality of ... signed a cooperative agreement with nine countries belonging ... In a drive to strengthen capacities and certification ... from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, ...
... ... Services , ... Francisco, CA (PRWEB) June 24, 2009 -- Today, Quantros announced the launch of a ... Quantros IT Consulting Services provides a cost-effective and reliable model for creating and supporting ...
... "Superfruit" Beverages Expand Beverages Holdings, Wholesome Offerings , , ... of the Sunny Delight Beverages Co., Veryfine Co. and The ... all the assets of Bossa Nova Beverage Group, Inc., a ... beverage category with its original acai juice . ...
Cached Medicine News:Health News:Study pinpoints novel cancer gene and biomarker 2Health News:Study pinpoints novel cancer gene and biomarker 3Health News:Study pinpoints novel cancer gene and biomarker 4Health News:Mayo Clinic Center for Innovation to Sponsor a Collaborative Symposium on Innovations in Health Care Experience and Delivery 2Health News:Mayo Clinic Center for Innovation to Sponsor a Collaborative Symposium on Innovations in Health Care Experience and Delivery 3Health News:Bone Therapy May Not Always Need Monitoring 2Health News:Goal of good quality medicines advanced by new USP agreement with 9 ASEAN countries 2Health News:Quantros Establishes IT Consulting Services Business Unit 2Health News:Quantros Establishes IT Consulting Services Business Unit 3Health News:Beverages Holdings, LLC Acquires Bossa Nova: The Superfruit Company 2Health News:Beverages Holdings, LLC Acquires Bossa Nova: The Superfruit Company 3
(Date:5/17/2013)... -- Sanofi (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY ) announced ... , examining the selective JAK2 inhibitor SAR302503 for myelofibrosis ... The primary endpoint assessed the proportion of patients achieving ... in previous trials, the most common adverse events were ... presented at an upcoming medical congress. ...
(Date:5/16/2013)... , May 17, 2013 ... and Switzerland,s Cytos Biotechnology AG today ... a Phase 1 clinical trial with their H1N1 influenza vaccine ... technology. In this first Phase 1 clinical trial, the safety ... to protect against H1N1 influenza infection will be evaluated. ...
(Date:5/16/2013)...  Today, the National Patient Advocate Foundation acknowledges that ... Representatives recently approved a bill that would prohibit insurers ... out-of-pocket fees for newer, more expensive oral anti-cancer drugs ... severe side-effects. However, the bill was amended to include ... to be a barrier to patients with cancer and ...
Breaking Medicine Technology:Sanofi Reports Positive Topline Results from Pivotal Phase III JAKARTA Study for JAK2 Inhibitor in Myelofibrosis 2Sanofi Reports Positive Topline Results from Pivotal Phase III JAKARTA Study for JAK2 Inhibitor in Myelofibrosis 3Sanofi Reports Positive Topline Results from Pivotal Phase III JAKARTA Study for JAK2 Inhibitor in Myelofibrosis 4Sanofi Reports Positive Topline Results from Pivotal Phase III JAKARTA Study for JAK2 Inhibitor in Myelofibrosis 5Sanofi Reports Positive Topline Results from Pivotal Phase III JAKARTA Study for JAK2 Inhibitor in Myelofibrosis 6A*STAR and Cytos Bring Singapore's First Influenza Vaccine to Clinical Testing 2A*STAR and Cytos Bring Singapore's First Influenza Vaccine to Clinical Testing 3A*STAR and Cytos Bring Singapore's First Influenza Vaccine to Clinical Testing 4A*STAR and Cytos Bring Singapore's First Influenza Vaccine to Clinical Testing 5A*STAR and Cytos Bring Singapore's First Influenza Vaccine to Clinical Testing 6National Patient Advocate Foundation Responds to N.C. State House Approval of Flawed Cancer Treatment Fairness Bill 2National Patient Advocate Foundation Responds to N.C. State House Approval of Flawed Cancer Treatment Fairness Bill 3
... national reference laboratory and a worldwide leader ... offers an extensive test menu of highly ... and anatomic pathology. Owned by the University ... than half of the nation's university teaching ...
... ARUP Laboratories is a national reference laboratory ... research and development. ARUP offers an extensive ... medical tests in clinical and anatomic pathology. ... Laboratories' clients include more than half of ...
... Laboratories is a national reference laboratory and ... and development. ARUP offers an extensive test ... tests in clinical and anatomic pathology. Owned ... clients include more than half of the ...
... reference laboratory and a worldwide leader in ... an extensive test menu of highly complex ... anatomic pathology. Owned by the University of ... half of the nation's university teaching hospitals ...
Medicine Products: