The impact of isolation on brain health

Social isolation is defined, in psychological terms, as the absence of meaningful social interactions, contacts, and relationships with family and friends, with neighbors. It can occur on an individual level and, on a broader level, within “society at large.” In the United States, three main groups of socially isolated individuals can be identified: people who reside in assisted-living facilities, nursing homes, or hospices, people suffering from “persistent loneliness” and people incarcerated in jails or prisons who are housed in involuntary solitary confinement. In this chapter, we discuss the psychological and neurobiological effects of isolation, using both animal models as well as direct studies of humans experiencing these conditions. Only by understanding the impact of isolation on the brain and the mechanisms that underlie these changes can we hope to develop interventions that prevent them from occurring in the first place. This knowledge may also contribute to the efforts of psychologists, clinicians, and community health leaders to employ evidence-based prevention programs to mitigate the risk of isolation-induced physical and psychological damage in humans.