Washington: People who are socially rejected and isolated tend to have poor physical health, and die sooner than people who have the support of others, according to a new study.
Rejection can also disrupt society at large and even contribute to violence.
“People who feel isolated and lonely and excluded tend to have poor physical health,” said Nathan Dewall, a psychologist at the University of Kentucky.
They don’t sleep well, their immune systems sputter, and they even tend to die sooner than people who are surrounded by others who care about them.
People with depression may face exclusion more often because of the symptoms of their disorder—and being rejected makes them more depressed, said DeWall, who conducted the study with Brad J. Bushman of Ohio State University
A feeling of exclusion can also contribute to suicide.
The study was published in Current Directions in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
ANI
