foodconsumer.org: Research Shows that Loneliness is Contagious

Research Shows that Loneliness is Contagious
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admin on 12/01/2009 23:57:00
 
By Rachel Stockton
“If your friends are there, then everything’s alright.” –Sir Elton John
Ever been around someone that seemed to have a black cloud following them
everywhere they went?  Apparently, there’s scientific evidence to support the
fact that people who are on the fringe socially can make those in their social
circle feel just as lonely as they are.
A study performed by the University of Chicago, University of California (San
Diego) and Harvard University has shown that loneliness is just as contagious as
the common cold; the results have been published in the current edition of The
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
According to the researchers, the average person has about 48 lonely days per
year; however, for every lonely friend we have in our network, an additional 17
days of loneliness are in store for us, annually.  The despair and unhappiness
of one person can rub off not only on spouses, friends and co-workers, it can
even spread to mere acquaintances.
The old saying “Laugh and the world laughs with you, frown and you frown
alone” may not be quite so accurate.  The study found that even people who are
not lonely become lonelier when they are around others who feel disengaged from
others.
While we think of “lonely” people isolating, this is only partially true. 
The researchers discovered that before a lonely person pulls away from a
particular social network, the affect of his or her loneliness has already
affected others, even if the rest of the group “pushes” the lonely person to
the periphery of the group.
On the flip side, having a social network can positively affect our health.  An
Australian study recently showed that people who have friends actually live
longer.  They also have a better sense of themselves, which translates into
having healthier immune systems.  Researchers are cited as saying that friends
keep us from engaging in unhealthy habits, such as drinking alone.