Social isolation from childhood to young adulthood:Identifying patterns of stability & change for a better understanding of later health & functioning

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Positive social relationships, particularly at a young age,are critical for later health and wellbeing. Social isolationoccurs when there is a severe lack or absence of socialrelationships and interpersonal connections. This isolationhas been explored in older populations and has beenassociated with implications for both mental and physicalhealth. There has been little focus on the impact ofprolonged social isolation in childhood, at a stage of lifewhere emotional and behavioral development is shaped forlater years. Research has shown that there is a substantialgenetic predisposition for social isolation, thus longitudinalassessment of social isolation in childhood whilstcontrolling for genetic influence is needed. This approachcan help clarify the impact that social isolation has on laterlife outcomes in four key domains of mental health,physical health-related behaviours, educational attainmentand employment, and criminal offending. The use of theEnvironmental Risk Longitudinal Twin Study of 2232 twinpairs assessed at ages 5, 7, 10, 12 and 18 years willprovide valuable information on social isolation at varioustime points throughout childhood and assess how theserelate to health outcomes at age 18. Results from theproposed project will help inform interventions and copingstrategies at an early age to help reduce social isolation inyoung children and subsequently reduce the likelihood ofmental and physical health problems in later life.