Social isolation in mid-life: associations with psychological distress, life satisfaction and self-rated health in two successive British birth cohorts

The study underscores the need to examine both separate and combined effects of social isolation across the complete mental health state. Isolation in its various forms was detrimental for mental health in mid-life and was most consistently linked to lower life satisfaction. Efforts to reduce isolation and its negative mental health impacts must recognise the complexity of these experiences.