Medical News Today in the past few years suggest that loneliness weakens the immune system, and has links to diabetes, dementia, and mental illness.
As people worldwide forego meeting friends and family to combat the spread of COVID-19, it is more important than ever to look out for signs of loneliness and stay connected. Research in social animals has found that positive social interaction is an inherently rewarding activity, similar to eating and sleeping. A previous study led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, MA, found that when isolated mice “crave” the company of other mice, a cluster of dopamine neurons in a region of their brains called the dorsal raphe nucleus becomes active.