Psychology professor’s work examines the impact of feeling disconnected

Lisa Jaremka, associate professor of psychological and brain sciences at the Univeresity of Delaware, presented her research into loneliness and its impact on human health. She was a keynote speaker at the 2024 Evelyn R. Hayes Innovations in Healthcare Symposium at UD’s Science, Advanced Technology and Research Campus on Oct. 23.

The symposium, hosted by UD’s College of Health Sciences, examined loneliness and isolation in the U.S., which U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy called an “epidemic” in 2023.

Jaremka has been studying the connection between loneliness and health for more than a decade. Her research shows lonelier adults are more likely to experience pain and depression. She also studies whether loneliness changes the function of the immune system, which could contribute to a variety of health issues.

“If true, that change in immune function might explain how you go from being lonely one day to potentially developing cardiovascular disease in the future,” she said.

Jaremka noted not all social interactions reduce feelings of loneliness. People need to feel connected to others, rather than just being in the same room with them.

“People need to feel loved, cared for and connected to others; that need is fundamental to being human. We need to feel loved like we need air to breathe and food to eat,” she said.

“Social connection is important, and when we aren’t connected, it negatively impacts the health of individuals, their families and communities,” said Dr. Thomas Cudjoe, assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University, also a keynote speaker at the symposium. “In healthcare, we focus on well-established health risk factors like cigarette smoking, blood pressure and lack of physical activity. But too often, we brush over social relationships.”

Read more about the Hayes Symposium.