The Healthspan Map · Social (Ch5)
Belonging (groups / third place)
Compiled by Aamir Malik, PhD, Professor of Neuroengineering at Brno University of Technology, from published studies. He is a researcher, not a physician. Last updated 21 August 2026.
What this is linked to
| Condition or system | Direction | Strength | Evidence type | What was found | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anxiety | Watch this | Emerging | RCT / meta-analysis | Loneliness is moderately associated with anxiety (r~0.40); stronger ties buffer it. | Gabarrell-Pascuet et al. 2023 (opens in a new tab) |
| Brain fog & memory | Watch this | Emerging | RCT / meta-analysis | Loneliness/social isolation is associated with poorer cognition across domains and higher dementia risk. | Sutin et al. 2024 (opens in a new tab) |
| Chronic fatigue / low energy | Watch this | Emerging | Cohort / observational | A sense of belonging buffers the psychosocial stress linked to fatigue. | Loneliness & fatigue longitudinal study (HRS) (opens in a new tab) |
| Depression / low mood | Watch this | Moderate | RCT / meta-analysis | Loneliness is moderately-to-strongly associated with depression (r~0.49); social connection is protective. | Gabarrell-Pascuet et al. 2023 (opens in a new tab) |
| Respiratory infections & airway health | Watch this | Moderate | Cohort / observational | Greater social integration/network diversity was associated with increased host resistance to experimental rhinovirus, independent of stress. | Pittsburgh common-cold studies (Cohen 2005) (opens in a new tab) |
| Stress | Watch this | Moderate | RCT / meta-analysis | Loneliness is moderately associated with stress, anxiety and depression; stronger ties buffer the stress response. | Gabarrell-Pascuet et al. 2023 (opens in a new tab) |
| Neurological & Mental Health | Watch this | Moderate | Established clinical | Group engagement and community connection help preserve cognition and mental health. | Social engagement and cognition review (2025) (opens in a new tab) |
| General / Whole-body Energy | Watch this | Moderate | RCT / meta-analysis | Rich social integration (community and group ties) was the strongest social predictor of survival (odds ratio ~1.91). | Social relationships and mortality risk: a meta-analytic review, PLoS Med 2010 (opens in a new tab) |
The Healthspan Map is part of Fix the Floor, a book by Aamir Malik. About the book