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Associations of social isolation and loneliness with neurological disorders, psychiatric disorders, brain structures and behavioural phenotypes among UK Biobank participants
Yong-Li Zhao, Dan-Dan Zhang, Pei-Yang Gao, Yan Fu, Yi-Jun Ge, Hao-Chen Chi, Ze-Xin Guo, Hai-Hong Yu et al.. Nature communications, 2026-04-28
Topic: Brain imaging, connectivity and assessment
Social isolation and loneliness are increasingly recognized as detrimental risk factors for brain health. Here, utilizing data from 383,421 participants in the UK Biobank, we identify significant associations between social isolation, loneliness, and the incidence of 11 neurological and psychiatric disorders, including major depressive disorder (MDD), schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, sleep disorders, dementia, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and epilepsy employing Cox regression models. Furthermore, using Mendelian randomization analysis we find evidence for putative relationships from social isolation and loneliness to MDD, schizophrenia, sleep disorders, and epilepsy. We also observe significant associations between social isolation, loneliness, and worse cognitive and emotional performance, as well as alterations in brain structures. Additionally, mediation analyses indicate that peripheral inflammatory and biochemical markers partially mediated the links from social isolation and loneliness to neurological and psychiatric disorders.
Key findings
- Here, utilizing data from 383,421 participants in the UK Biobank, we identify significant associations between social isolation, loneliness, and the incidence of 11 neurological and psychiatric disorders, including major depressive disorder (MDD), schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, sleep disorders, dementia, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and epilepsy employing Cox regression models.
- We also observe significant associations between social isolation, loneliness, and worse cognitive and emotional performance, as well as alterations in brain structures.
- Additionally, mediation analyses indicate that peripheral inflammatory and biochemical markers partially mediated the links from social isolation and loneliness to neurological and psychiatric disorders.
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Study details
- Participants383,421
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 61/100
Published in a leading specialty journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record, multi-centre collaboration and free to read, so those were left out: it earned 34 of the 56 points we could judge it on, which is 61 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Nature communications) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 5 / 5 | 2026 — within 1 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 4 / 4 | 383,421 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 42049746) |
| Free to read | — / 2 | Access not recorded — left out of this score |
| Points | 34 / 56 | Scored on 10 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 34 of the 56 points we could judge it on is 61 out of 100. |
| Total | 61 / 100 | — |
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APA 7th
Zhao, Y.-L., Zhang, D.-D., Gao, P.-Y., Fu, Y., Ge, Y.-J., Chi, H.-C., et al. (2026). Associations of social isolation and loneliness with neurological disorders, psychiatric disorders, brain structures and behavioural phenotypes among UK Biobank participants. Nature communications. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-72529-y
Vancouver
Zhao Y.-L, Zhang D.-D, Gao P.-Y, Fu Y, Ge Y.-J, Chi H.-C, et al. Associations of social isolation and loneliness with neurological disorders, psychiatric disorders, brain structures and behavioural phenotypes among UK Biobank participants. Nature communications. 2026. doi:10.1038/s41467-026-72529-y. PMID: 42049746.
BibTeX
@article{zhao2026-42049746,
author = {Zhao, Yong-Li and Zhang, Dan-Dan and Gao, Pei-Yang and Fu, Yan and Ge, Yi-Jun and Chi, Hao-Chen and Guo, Ze-Xin and Yu, Hai-Hong and others},
title = {{Associations of social isolation and loneliness with neurological disorders, psychiatric disorders, brain structures and behavioural phenotypes among UK Biobank participants}},
journal = {Nature communications},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.1038/s41467-026-72529-y},
pmid = {42049746},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-72529-y}
}