Abstract
Research shows consistently that social ties are important for longevity, and they may be particularly important during adolescence. An absence of social ties, or social isolation, during adolescence may adversely affect long-term health and wellbeing. While prior research has examined associations between isolation from friends and long-term health, and having no siblings and mortality, no study (of which we are aware) considers jointly both the role of having no friends and no siblings, nor more generally with whom adolescents spend time, and the risk of premature mortality. This paper extends the literature by drawing on data from the Stockholm Birth Cohort Study to examine the association between different types of social isolation during adolescence (i.e., an absence of friends, siblings, and time with other adolescents) and the risk of premature mortality by midlife. Results suggest that having no siblings, being unliked at school, and spending (mostly) no time with other adolescents, increases the risk of premature mortality. The association between being unliked and premature mortality was attenuated by demographic and adolescent characteristics. Consistent with our expectations, net of a robust set of covariates, adolescents who had no siblings and mostly spent no time with other adolescents (i.e., isolates) were the group most vulnerable to premature mortality by midlife. However, this was only true for females.
Highlights
Social relationships are among the most important predictors of longevity
This study provides new information about the association between adolescent social isolation and premature mortality
The current study extends the literature by examining the risk of premature mortality by additional types of adolescent social isolation—mostly no time with other adolescents and having no siblings
Summary
Social relationships are among the most important predictors of longevity. Decades of cross-disciplinary research has explored how social connections affect health outcomes across the life course (e.g., House et al 1988; Umberson et al 2010; Yang1 3 Vol.:(0123456789)et al 2016). Ties between siblings and friends lie at the core of social interaction, and isolation from siblings and/or friends may have long-term negative consequences. Research suggests that different types of adolescent social isolation have both short-term consequences such as alcohol and drug use, and long-term consequences such as cardiovascular disease (e.g., Copeland et al 2018; Caspi et al 2006). Adolescents who have no siblings and who are unliked by, or disengaged from, peers at school may struggle with common problems that emerge during childhood (e.g., issues with parents, teachers, or school kids) as social support from these relationships tends to be protective (e.g., Hall-Lande et al 2007). An absence of siblings and friends during adolescence may be a difficult social position that has long-term health consequences
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