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# Loneliness is linked to higher mortality risk than social isolation in older Australians
- URL: https://www.coios.me/loneliness-is-linked-to-higher-mortality-risk-than-social/
- Published: 2026-11-08T13:12:09.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-08T14:08:09.000Z
- Description: Chronic loneliness had a mortality hazard ratio of 1.41 in Australians aged 50 and over, above social isolation's 1.19.
- Author: Daniel Ryan
- Tags: Behavioural science, Social connection, Australia, #peer-reviewed, #confirms, #item, #source-2026-11, #score-72

Of 6,551 Australians aged 50 and over in a national household panel survey, 1,529 died over 19 waves. Five measures were modelled jointly: loneliness, lack of emotional support, infrequent social contact (social isolation), club membership and living alone. Cox models counted each measure only if reported in two consecutive years, adjusting for health, income and deprivation. The hazard ratio for loneliness was 1.41, at 1.55 in men and 1.24 in women, against 1.19 for social isolation. Active club membership was linked with lower risk (hazard ratio 0.69), but living alone was not (1.03). The design is observational with self-reported measures, so reverse causation and residual confounding cannot be excluded.

*Why it is interesting: It estimates each aspect of social relationships separately rather than pooling them in one isolation index. Loneliness was linked to more risk than past smoking but much less than current smoking.*

Source

[Demography, 4 November 2026](https://doi.org/10.1215/00703370-12879669?ref=coios.me)

Paper

Evidence on the Robustness of the Links Between Social Relationships and Mortality

Authors

Freak-Poli R, Jenkins SP, Shields MA, Trinh TA

DOI

10.1215/00703370-12879669

Full text

[Open copy](https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/305716/1/dp17274.pdf?ref=coios.me) (submitted version, before peer review, repository)

Type

Peer-reviewed article

Design

Longitudinal cohort analysis of 19 waves of Australian household panel data, adults aged 50+; sample size not stated

Verdict

Confirms prior evidence

Driver

[Social connection](https://www.coios.me/d-social-connection/)