Guest Speaker 2

Humans are ultra-social creatures

Human health is deeply influenced by the quantity and quality of our social interactions.

Social integration and health

People high in well-being tend to be more socially integrated and are less prone to illness.

Social networks and illness risk

People with larger social networks are less likely to catch colds.

Friends and longevity

People with more friends tend to live longer than those with fewer friends.

Berkman & Syme (1979) Study

Surveyed ~7,000 adults; found that the size of social networks predicted mortality even 9 years later.

Mortality and social networks

Larger social networks were associated with lower mortality rates; especially significant for women.

Mortality risk for women with fewer friends

Women with fewer friends were 2.8x more likely to die than those with more friends.

Mortality risk for men with fewer friends

Men with fewer friends were 2.3x more likely to die than those with more friends.

Social support and mortality

Effect of social support on mortality was independent of health, obesity, smoking, SES, and physical activity.

Chronic loneliness

Chronic loneliness is a major health risk, comparable to smoking, obesity, and high blood pressure.

NASEM Report (2020)

Found strong links between loneliness, illness, and mortality in older adults.

How social support helps with stress

Material help, emotional support, feeling cared for, and gratitude all reduce stress and promote health.

Gratitude and social bonds

Gratitude strengthens social bonds and helps reduce feelings of loneliness.

Spirituality and well-being

Religious people report higher well-being due to support, gratitude, healthy behavior, and meaning.

Spirituality as a health factor

Faith communities offer social and physical support, increase gratitude, promote healthy living, and provide purpose.

Social and physical pain overlap

Social rejection activates similar brain regions as physical pain; the brain treats social threats like physical threats.

Neural overlap in pain

Lieberman and Eisenberger found that social exclusion triggers neural responses similar to physical pain.

Pain sensitivity link

Those more sensitive to physical pain are also more sensitive to social pain.

Social exclusion and physical pain

Being excluded socially can increase experiences of physical pain (e.g., heat stimuli).

Tylenol and social pain

Tylenol has been shown to reduce psychological and social pain (Dewall et al., 2010).

Master et al. (2009) Study

Holding a partner's hand or viewing their photo reduced pain during thermal stimulation on the forearm.

Social support reduces pain

Support from loved ones decreases reported levels of physical pain.

Resting heart rate

Normal range is 60-100 bpm; lower heart rate can indicate better stress regulation.

Low heart rate

Typically below 50 bpm; often linked to better health and calmness.

High heart rate

Above 100 bpm; can signal stress or arousal.

Laughter and heart rate

Laughter briefly raises heart rate, like exercise, but may promote overall cardiovascular health.