Cold symptoms feel worse when you ’re lonely

By Christian Jarrett Already substantial evidence suggests that feeling lonely – regardless of whether we actually are socially isolated based on our number of relationships – is bad for our health, affecting our odds of developing heart disease and other chronic conditions. A new study in Health Psychology extends this literature by showing that feelings of loneliness, but not levels of social isolation, seem to increase the toll of acute illness, in this case by worsening the subjective experience of having a cold. The researchers, led by Angie LeRoy at the University of Houston and Rice University, said their findings could be useful for helping doctors understand their patients’ different experiences of short-term illnesses. It also provides yet more evidence for why interventions aimed at reducing loneliness need to focus on quality not quantity of social interaction – after all, it’s perfectly possible to feel intensely alone in a crowded room. This isn’t the kind of study you’d consider volunteering for lightly: the researchers used viral nasal drops to try to infect 159 healthy US participants, average age 30, with a cold (75 per cent became infected) and then they holed them up in quarantine in a hotel for five days. Thankfully for the participants, they received just over $1000 in compensation. Each day, the participants answered questions about their mood and the severity of eight different cold symptoms, from congestion to...
Source: BPS RESEARCH DIGEST - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Health Mental health Source Type: blogs