Superficial relationships lead to feelings of detachment

University of Arizona published two new studies suggest that superficial relationships may not only lead to feelings of detachment, but also contribute to certain health-related problems.

"There is a link between social networks and health, but the exact mechanism is not understood," said Stacey Passalacqua, who recently earned her doctorate in UA and interpersonal health communication with a minor in psychology.

Passalacqua and Chris Segrin, the UA communication department and lead author of the paper, decided to individual perceptions of stress and social support to examine how loneliness can be linked to the health study to understand.

In their study of 265 adults aged 19 to 85, and Passalacqua Segrin found that stress serves a vital function for those who are reported to be lonely.

They found that lonely people tended to have less close relationships were less likely to properly manage daily stressors and tended not to maintain their health. Lonely people do not even have enough sleep.

Segrin noted that age does not predict whether a person would be lonely and living away from friends and family had no negative effect. With relationships mediated by digital modes is not necessarily problematic, although relations were established before the distance is probably the strongest.
Together is not shield a person from feelings of loneliness, Segrin added. Instead, with close friends and relatives appeared to be more important.

"The mere presence of a relationship is not always something that will lead to happy and feel supported," he said.

Another remarkable conclusion: The team found that, above all, loneliness is a matter of perception.

"Loneliness is the difference between your and reaches the desired level of social contact, and has important implications," said Segrin. "The portrait of a lonely person is very difficult to paint, because what is really important is what happens in your head."

So people can experience the same stressors - maybe the car breaks down or a bank account draws, or maybe a relationship goes wrong and someone just needs airing - and have completely different answers.

It is therefore not surprising that some people with large social networks also to express feelings of loneliness. When it comes to relationships, quality, not quantity, is the decisive factor, Passalacqua said.

"There are so many people we have in our day-to-day interactions," she said. "But the lack of close relatives and close friends is something that should be taken seriously. Sometimes we do not realize how important these relationships are close to our health."

The findings were published in an article co-author "Functions of loneliness, social support, health behaviors, and stress in association with poor health," in a June issue of Health Communication.

Segrin also worked with Tricia Domschke, doctoral candidate in communication, in another study to look into such details.

The co-author article, "social support, loneliness, regenerative processes and their direct and indirect effects on health," has been accepted for publication in Health Communication.

Segrin Domschke and found that lonely people do not enjoy leisure activities or to regenerate effects of sleep on a similar level as others did. So when it came to taking a vacation, getting a good night's sleep, or going swimming, lonely people do not as much of a charge.

What both studies suggest that people not only need better care of themselves, but to learn to cherish the relationships.

"We know that chronic stressors are very harmful to the human system," said Passalacqua.

"Perceptions are everything needed, and when you experience stress, it has a physiological effect on the body," she added. "The mind is such a powerful effect on the body, and really, our observations are shaping our world."