Employers have been urged to help workers whose social networks have disappeared due to lockdown re-engage with their friends and families as new research draws a clear link between loneliness and increased risk of cancer.
A recent study at the University of Eastern Finland launched in the 1980s with the participation of 2,570 men from eastern Finland, monitored their health and mortality on the basis of register data up until the present day.
During the follow-up, 649 men – 25% of the participants, developed cancer, and 283 men (11%) died of cancer. Loneliness was found to have increased the risk of cancer by about 10%.
Commenting on the findings, Dr Chris Morris, medical director at HealthHero, told Health & Protection, the research adds a little more to current learnings about the health effects of isolation and loneliness.
“The challenge for us as health professionals in having identified loneliness is to help patients overcome what seems to be an increasing problem in society, heightened by the restrictions we’ve all faced due to the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Dr Julie Denning, managing director at vocational rehabilitation firm Working to Wellbeing, told Health & Protection that when supporting people with long term conditions, it asks about an individual’s social circumstances due to the benefits of social support and social networks for mental health and physical health.
“It’s widely recognised that social support can act as a buffer to physical and mental ill health. Not just where friends and family are concerned, but also where social support in the community is concerned,” she said.
“For this reason, the NHS now advocates social prescribing to a range of local, non-clinical services. For example, volunteering, group learning, befriending, gardening, cookery, sports etc.
“This is an aspect of what we do too, when working with clients and their employees.”
Denning added that in cases where clients reveal their social networks have shrunk as a result of their illness, they are encouraged to re-engage with people or activities that involve others and strengthen their social connections.
Although it is important for us to differentiate those people for whom a limited social network is not unusual and is a preference.
‘Huge and defining’ feature of the pandemic
And according to Denning, social isolation due to Covid, lockdown and social distancing measures has been a ‘huge and a defining’ feature of this pandemic.
“We have seen mental ill health rise and the correlation between this and being isolated shouldn’t be ignored. We want to connect and not being able to is challenging to us as social beings,” she said.
Consequently, Denning advises employers to keep in contact with their staff during this time, noting that those in the working age population often spend more time with colleagues than with partners and loved ones.
“So to lose that connection as a result of a global pandemic and working from home is significant,” she continued.
“Employers can really help to maintain that social connection and sense of being part of a community which is so key to us a human beings. For me it is not just about people who have a cancer diagnosis, it is for all staff that this is important.”
Christine Husbands, managing director at RedArc, agreed and added: “Employers need to be mindful of the additional impacts that the pandemic has for employees suffering with long-term health conditions whether this be a physical condition such as cancer or mental illness such as depression or anxiety.
“In addition post-Covid syndrome (long Covid) is emerging as a significant collection of unpredictable long-term symptoms affecting many employees.”
Research should inform benefit design
Steve Herbert, head of benefits strategy at Howden Employee Benefits & Wellbeing, called on employers to recognise the risks of isolation on their employees.
“As we move towards an era where home and hybrid working are likely to become the norm in many sectors, employers need to recognise the risks of isolation and ensure that all their employee benefits components are able to support workers wherever they are,” he said.
“This will doubtless mean a further ramping-up of digital delivery methods to reach that audience.
“And the employee benefits industry will need to remain alert to important new medical findings – such as this latest one – to appropriately shape the benefits we design, which in turn will enable employers to offer tangible and relevant support to their employees.”
Once a solid evidence base has been developed from this and other similar studies, effective interventions can be designed that will make a difference.
And by comparing loneliness to other risk factors such as smoking and weight gain, people can then be encouraged to ensure they are getting the social support they need to maintain their wellbeing.
Ultimately, Steve Ellis, director at employee benefits consultants Propseris, warned employers they need to be wary of less social lifestyles leading to less healthy lifestyles.
“The longer term impact of lockdown is only becoming evident now,” he said.
“As we emerge to a more normal way of life, those who live alone may become more isolated and suffer mental health issues as they see others going out and socialising, but for them nothing has changed.
“Employers need to be aware of employees who live alone when deciding if homeworking will become the norm.
“For some, work is their only interaction with other people and losing that face-to-face contact could be devastating for that individual. In turn this could lead to a less healthy lifestyle and an increase in cancer risk.”