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Study: Loneliness Can Be Contagious

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Dec 1, 2009 5:58 pm US/Mountain

Study: Loneliness Can Be Contagious

Reporting
Dr. Dave Hnida
DENVER (CBS4) ― A 10-year study of more 5,100 people found loneliness can spread from one person to an entire group.

The researchers published their findings in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. They found loneliness could be contagious and follows a pattern as it spreads among groups.

The study found the mind picks up on the social problems the lonely person has.

"Your brain undergoes some chemical changes," CBS4 Medical Editor Dr. Dave Hnida explained. "You push away the lonely person but then you begin to push away others as well.

That's when your 'negativity index' jumps and others pick up on it. From there, the loneliness spreads as far as three or four degrees of separation from the original lonely person."

Lonely people project a variety of symptoms and signs, including being shy, anxious, hostile and socially awkward.

"And it's a vicious cycle," Hnida said. "The more they act this way, the more isolated they become."

The way to beat the problem is to take a close look at personal relationships and make sure they are healthy and strong. It may take just one good friend to turn around the pattern of loneliness.

"Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are not necessarily healthy substitutions for human interaction," Hnida said. "And while pets are good they are also not a substitute for people."

Other studies have shown happiness can also be spread for one person to another.

(© MMX CBS Television Stations, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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