West Virginia University
Loneliness isn’t just unpleasant. It can also be unhealthy. A new study out of WVU explores how loneliness may make it harder to keep chronic conditions, such as diabetes and hypertension, under control. Lead researcher Laurie Theeke found that middle-aged Appalachians who report being lonely tend to score low on an assessment of their self-management. Lower self-management scores correlate with poorer health outcomes.