Men who suffer chronic loneliness may face an increased cancer risk, according to a new study.
The possible associations between loneliness, social isolation, and cancer were examined by a team led by Dr Siiri-Liisi Kraav, of the University of Eastern Finland.
They analysed figures from 2,570 middle aged men recruited in the 1980s and followed over time. The men completed questionnaires about loneliness, social isolation, and health-related factors at the start. Cancer diagnoses and mortality rates were also collected.
This showed that loneliness was linked to overall cancer incidence, once lifestyle and health-related factors were taken into account.
Social isolation also showed a link to cancer incidence, but the link disappeared once lifestyle, diet, and depression were taken into account.
Looking at specific types of cancer, loneliness was linked to lung cancer incidence but again this disappeared once depression was taken into account. Social isolation was not linked to lung cancer.
For prostate and colorectal cancer, neither loneliness nor social isolation were implicated.
The researchers write in yesterday’s (27 April) Psychiatry Research that: "Being single at baseline was associated with worse survival outcomes for cancer patients. Our findings suggest that regardless of the social network size, loneliness among middle-aged men is associated with an increased likelihood of cancer."
Dr Kraav said: “It has been estimated, on the basis of studies carried out in recent years, that loneliness could be as significant a health risk as smoking or being overweight. Our findings support the idea that attention should be paid to this issue.
“Awareness of the health effects of loneliness is constantly increasing. Therefore, it is important to examine, in more detail, the mechanisms by which loneliness causes adverse health effects.
"This information would enable us to better alleviate loneliness and the harm caused by it, as well as to find optimal ways to target preventive measures.”
Kraav, S. et al. Loneliness and social isolation increase cancer incidence in a cohort of Finnish middle-aged men. A longitudinal study. Psychiatry Research 27 April 2021 doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2021.113868
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