Poor Relationships: Caused By Your Health?

By Cindy Williams, RN

Coordinator, Health Ministries

The immune system does much more than fight off invasions by microorganisms. Scientists have spent decades researching immune cells and signals in the hope of unlocking the door to the cause and cure for obesity, cancer, and heart disease, in addition to infectious diseases. There is a growing body of knowledge that indicates that the immune system plays a role in thinking, emotions, and relationships.

It has been recognized that high levels of inflammation, indicators of immune system imbalance, are strongly associated with depression and linked to decreased short- and long-term cognition. Recent research has also suggested that elevated inflammation leads to social withdrawal and fosters a sense of social disconnection. These observations could lead to a direct path from imbalanced immunity to poor relationships. In other words, an unhealthy immune system can impact your relationships with others.

Could the opposite also be true? Do our relationships affect our immune system? Yes, they do. Here are a few examples of research on this topic.

A study published in 2014 found that children who experienced more social isolation in childhood had higher levels of an inflammatory marker called C-reactive protein (CRP) in their blood nearly 40 years later. CRP is associated with heart disease and other chronic diseases. 

A study of older adults, published in 2019, showed that social engagement and living with someone is associated with lower levels of CRP. Loneliness was associated with an abnormal level of a marker that regulates inflammation.

A 2017 study added to the bank of knowledge that loneliness may lead to negative health outcomes by looking at the physiological responses to acute stress compared to levels of loneliness.

Ten months ago, I had never heard the term “social distancing.” My guess is that you hadn’t either. I actually very much dislike the term and have stopped using it. This brief look at just a few pieces of literature gives us a small window into the potential harm that social distancing can cause. I am especially concerned for our children. But this lack of connection with others is taking a toll on all of us.

We are faced with a dilemma this holiday season. Warnings to stay home and not to gather with anyone outside our immediate family are on every newscast and in every article about COVID. Some of us have personally felt the worst blows of the disease, others only have a head knowledge of it. On the other hand, we need each other. God created us as social beings. We cannot remain “socially distant.”

What then should we do? It may be that you need to be physically distant during the holidays. That doesn’t mean that you can’t socially connect with others. It’s been fun to see all the ways people have celebrated special occasions with friends and family during the pandemic. Drive-by birthday parties and graduations, online movie nights, “Zoom” Christmas parties, and family video calls are some of the things I have seen. Be creative, take advantage of every available resource, and connect with someone this week!

References

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/psyp.13031

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0889159119306051

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306453014003126?via%3Dihub

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0277953611001638

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-modern-brain/202009/how-your-immunity-affects-your-relationships

This article is part of a continuing series of health during these COVID times. For other articles, please see www.uccsda.org/healthministries.

Photo by Evgeni Tcherkasski on Unsplash