These studies overwhelmingly support the notion that social connectedness correlates negatively with allostatic load .
Several moderators of this relationship were also identified , including gender , social status , and quality of social ties .
The current evidence strongly indicates that the more socially connected individuals are , the less likely they are to experience chronic stress and associated allostatic load .
The negative association between social connectedness and various chronic diseases can thus , at least partially , be explained by the buffering qualities of social connectedness against allostatic load .
We argue that assessing social connectedness in clinical and epidemiological setting s may therefore represent a considerable asset in terms of prevention and intervention
In the present review , we argue that social disconnectedness could and should be included in primary -care screening protocol s for the detection of cardiometabolic disease .
Empirical evidence indicates that weak social connectedness represents a serious risk factor for chronic diseases , including cardiovascular disease , diabetes , and various cancers .
Weak social connectedness , however , is largely regarded as a second-tier health-risk factor in clinical and research setting s. This may be because the mechanisms by which this factor impacts on physical health are poorly understood .
Budding research , however , advances the idea that social connectedness buffers against stress-related allostatic load-a known precursor for cardiovascular disease and cancer .
The present paper review s the empirical knowledge on the relationship between everyday stress , social connectedness , and allostatic load .
Association of childhood adversities and early-onset mental disorders with adult-onset chronic physical conditions.
CONTEXT The physical health consequences of childhood psychosocial adversities may be as substantial as the mental health consequences , but whether this is the case remains unclear because much prior research has involved unrepresentative sample s and a selective focus on particular adversities or physical outcomes . The association between early-onset mental disorders and subsequent poor physical health in adulthood has not been investigated . OBJECTIVE To investigate whether childhood adversities and early-onset mental disorders are independently associated with increased risk of a range of adult-onset chronic physical conditions in culturally diverse sample s spanning the full adult age range . DESIGN Cross-sectional community surveys of adults in 10 countries . SETTING General population . PARTICIPANTS Adults ( ie , aged ≥18 years ; N = 18 303 ) , with diagnostic assessment and determination of age at onset of DSM-IV mental disorders , assessment of childhood familial adversities , and age of diagnosis or onset of chronic physical conditions . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Risk ( ie , hazard ratios ) of adult-onset ( ie , at age > 20 years ) heart disease , asthma , diabetes mellitus , arthritis , chronic spinal pain , and chronic headache as a function of specific childhood adversities and early-onset ( ie , at age < 21 years ) DSM-IV depressive and anxiety disorders , with mutual adjustment . RESULTS A history of 3 or more childhood adversities was independently associated with onset of all 6 physical conditions ( hazard ratios , 1.44 to 2.19 ) . Controlling for current mental disorder made little difference to these associations . Early-onset mental disorders were independently associated with onset of 5 physical conditions ( hazard ratios , 1.43 to 1.66 ) . CONCLUSIONS These results are consistent with the hypothesis that childhood adversities and early-onset mental disorders have independent , broad-spectrum effects that increase the risk of diverse chronic physical conditions in later life . They require confirmation in a prospect ively design ed study . The long course of these associations has theoretical and research implication
These studies overwhelmingly support the notion that social connectedness correlates negatively with allostatic load .
Several moderators of this relationship were also identified , including gender , social status , and quality of social ties .
The current evidence strongly indicates that the more socially connected individuals are , the less likely they are to experience chronic stress and associated allostatic load .
The negative association between social connectedness and various chronic diseases can thus , at least partially , be explained by the buffering qualities of social connectedness against allostatic load .
We argue that assessing social connectedness in clinical and epidemiological setting s may therefore represent a considerable asset in terms of prevention and intervention
In the present review , we argue that social disconnectedness could and should be included in primary -care screening protocol s for the detection of cardiometabolic disease .
Empirical evidence indicates that weak social connectedness represents a serious risk factor for chronic diseases , including cardiovascular disease , diabetes , and various cancers .
Weak social connectedness , however , is largely regarded as a second-tier health-risk factor in clinical and research setting s. This may be because the mechanisms by which this factor impacts on physical health are poorly understood .
Budding research , however , advances the idea that social connectedness buffers against stress-related allostatic load-a known precursor for cardiovascular disease and cancer .
The present paper review s the empirical knowledge on the relationship between everyday stress , social connectedness , and allostatic load .