Friends with benefits after 50!

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), health is a complete state of physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease.

This opens up a lot of food for thought. It is not enough for us to talk about avoiding and managing disease conditions such as diabetes and hypertension, but we must also recognise the other dimensions when we say, "I am healthy." In fact, if your doctor were to really do a 'full check-up' on you, it would require many visits to assess the various aspects of your physical, mental and social health. It will, however, be a step in the right direction since there is now evidence that good social health helps you to live longer and better.

What's social health?

The word 'social' speaks to interaction with others and a collective coexistence. When we talk about social health we can think of how you participate within groups and with others and the nature of your relationships? Are you able to really get involved, and are you satisfied with what you are doing in carrying out your roles in various settings such as home, work or church? What about social ties and support in your life? How much do you have, and is it of good quality?

The benefits of social ties

Researchers at Brigham Young University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have shown that persons with poor social connections, on average, have a 50 per cent higher odds of death over time, compared to persons with strong social ties. In other words, a healthy social life can be as good for you as not smoking! Having good friends, living in a positive and uplifting family setting, interacting in well-meaning networks of people is a prescription you should definitely fill. All of these social connections go a long way to buffer or reduce the effects of stress on your life. Such involvement can also help you to adopt healthy behaviours.

Quality versus quantity

Is your social health deteriorating as life moves on? You might be losing supportive relationships as you get older. You may have people around you but still feel disconnected or in a relationship but feel emotionally unsupported. Between 2009 and 2011, Facebook use grew twice as fast in the over 50, compared to the general population.

Sherry Turkle, an MIT professor, in her book Alone Together suggests that even with a host of 'digital friends'.

What we have is an illusion of companionship but very little demands on intimacy. So the quality of our social relationships may still be moving to one of solitude at the end of the day.

A life package warning!

Article 11 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control stipulates package labels with warnings of the harmful effects of tobacco use. Given what we now know, we also need a 'life package' warning which says: "Social relationships, or the relative lack thereof, is a major risk factor for health." So start assessing your social health. It's not too late to reap the real benefits of meaningful supportive relationships.

Dr Tomlin Paul is a family physician at Health Plus Associates in Kingston; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.