August 24, 2026 \ Edition 51

Rates of loneliness have always been high for people who suffer from one or more chronic diseases. That has long begged the question of whether the physical limitations associated with many chronic diseases can lead to loneliness or whether loneliness is a contributor to the development of chronic disease. It’s an important question, if for no other reason that three in four American adults have at least one chronic condition, and over half have two or more. 

Now according to a global team of researchers from China, the United States and Finland, the answer is both. Using longitudinal data on people with multimorbidity (two or more chronic diseases), the researchers found that the relationship runs in both directions: loneliness was associated with a greater likelihood of developing multiple physical health conditions, while having multiple conditions was associated with subsequently experiencing greater loneliness.

The researchers found that reduced participation in social activities appeared to partly explain the connection between loneliness and multimorbidity. The authors suggest that decreased social activities could create a feedback loop: loneliness may reduce social engagement, while illness can make social participation more difficult because of fatigue, pain, mobility limitations, or the demands of managing several conditions. In turn, reduced social activity may further increase vulnerability to poor health and loneliness.

It’s another piece of evidence that investment in loneliness reduction is a critical public health strategy.

Read on!