[Thread] Over the last 72 hours, a large fraction of the world has isolated itself in an effort at "social distancing" to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This isolation will likely last for months. This is thread is about the mental health impacts of this global isolation... 1/
As I write in my upcoming book "The Hype Machine," "Isolation is aversive & unsafe for social species. It decreases the lifespan of fruit flies, promotes obesity and Type II diabetes and reduces post-stroke survival rates in mice,..." amazon.com/Hype-Machine-D… 2/
increases stress responses & decreases the benefits of exercise in rats; increases levels of the stress hormone cortisol in monkeys, pigs and humans and increases oxidative stress in rabbits and in people." 3/
"Although human loneliness was once thought to be a chronic disease without redeeming features, research suggests that, in the same way hunger, thirst & pain motivate us to seek food, water & safety, loneliness motivates us to create, repair & maintain social relationships." 4/
"It modulates the dopamine reward system in our brains and creates neural pain, which we seek to remedy by socializing. Our ventral striatum, a key component of the dopamine reward system, is activated when we receive social rewards in our romantic relationships,... 5/
our cooperative relationships, in social comparisons and when we are being altruistic. We are mentally wired—in fact, we have been evolutionarily bound by our neurophysiology—to communicate, connect and coordinate with one another." 6/
So, what are the likely impacts of this global experiment in social isolation created by COVID-19 and how can we adapt to them in a healthy way? 7/
Studies show loneliness can cause chronic inflammation and reduce the body’s ability to defend itself from viruses, weakening our immune response to COVID-19 and other threats npr.org/sections/healt… 8/
The evidence suggests isolation reduces our likelihood to engage in public health related solutions to the coronavirus pandemic, like washing our hands and getting vaccinated (when a vaccine is available). nytimes.com/2020/03/13/opi… 9/
And a recent study in The Lancet showed quarantining is associated with symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) sciencedirect.com/science/articl… 10/
Meta-analyses have identified a link between social isolation and increased mortality and cardiovascular disease, poorer mental health outcomes, with albeit less strong evidence for behavioral and other physical health outcomes. 11/ sciencedirect.com/science/articl…
Social isolation poses particular mental and general health risks for older people, including both mental and physical illness jstor.org/stable/2094641… 12/
There is, however, a distinction between social isolation and loneliness, which may hold clues for how we (and in particular older people) can adapt to COVID-19 associated isolation nia.nih.gov/news/social-is… 13/
So, how can we adapt to this new physical and mental reality? A few pointers hold clues 14/
First, social isolation creates a disconnect between our mental activity (what we think about) and the things going on around us creating feelings of a loss of control and a tendency to turn inward. 15/
So, manipulating our environments, rearranging furniture, cleaning, regaining control over our bodies through indoor exercise can all help. qz.com/1818798/corona… 16/
Second, as I argue in my book, the digital social technologies we created in the last decade, often blamed for the rise of loneliness could, ironically, be extremely helpful in maintaining social relationships during this great physical distancing. amazon.com/Hype-Machine-D… 17/
Using the potential of these new social technologies to create and enhance meaningful human connections can improve our mental health. scientificamerican.com/article/how-to… 18/
Creating a schedule and virtually organizing our friends to meet online could help us stave off the mental health effects of physical isolation. Some of the countries which have already been socially isolating provide glimpses into what life is like under social distancing... 19/
Some examples of regularized virtual activities that we could all potentially benefit from include regular group FaceTime, Skype, Zoom or other chat hangouts, live streamed concerts, gym classes and virtual book clubs. nytimes.com/2020/03/13/opi… 20/
or use of "apps and social platforms are being designed to help us optimize our online interactions with loved ones, including Ikaria, Cocoon, Monaru and Squad." scientificamerican.com/article/how-to… 21/
As we learn to cope with this new normal, please share your comments and suggestions or pointers to information that could help...! Be well. 22/
