The impact of psychological health and mental well-being on physical fitness always has intuitively. However, while physical conditions may be easily measurable and treatable,  psychological disorders have taken the back foot due to various factors such as social stigma and difficulty identifying or measuring the condition.

 

There are a lot of studies that show the relationships between general morbidity or well-being and social relationships. For example, a study conducted on 5397 men and women over 50 years of age demonstrated that loneliness was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. 

 

Another study conducted with 11486 Australians showed that lack of socialisation is also associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Loneliness and social isolation are different in that loneliness is a perception even when surrounded by people. It indicates poor mental health and signals a deeper problem.

 

Although the exact mechanism by which social isolation and loneliness can affect cardiovascular health is unknown, there is strong evidence suggesting a link between the two. Mental health problems affect how your body functions by modulating signals through the autonomic nervous system. Mental health problems also affect the way your immune system functions. All this together may contribute to the increased risk of cardiovascular disease that is associated with loneliness and social isolation. 

 

A body of research is already available, and there are also many ongoing studies on this topic. Some studies you may want to refer to include:

• https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(20)30291-7
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27091846/
• https://heart.bmj.com/content/102/13/1009
• https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/2047487318792696

 

It is always advisable to build quality relationships and ensure a daily level of social interaction to stay in the best status of Mental Health and well-being. Social isolation is known to increase the chances of developing conditions like anxiety, which may trigger cardiovascular events or cause gradual harm to your body.