A new research study published in the journal Prim Care Companion CNS Disord examined the link between social isolation and substance abuse among hospitalized adults. The study authors used the 2018 National Inpatient Sample dataset to identify adult hospitalizations with social isolation and substance abuse in the U.S. to analyze the sociodemographic features and health care resource utilization, as well as the prevalence of substance use disorder (SUD) with social isolation and sex/race-based disparities.

A total of 2,050 patients with a social diagnostic code (as defined by the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification) were included in the study. It was found that 16.6% of participants had SUD, with higher prevalence in individuals who were younger in age, male, and African-American.

The study’s results also revealed that smoking (49.3% vs 36.1%), alcohol disorder (14.4% vs 4.9%), cannabis disorder (14.6% vs 1.4%), stimulant-related disorder (16.3% vs 2.6%), and opioid-related disorder (16.6% vs 3.1%) were the most common SUDs among socially isolated patients. While the length of stay was similar among socially isolated patients by substance use, hospitalization cost was higher ($6,144 vs $4,745) among patients with SUD.

“The link between social isolation and substance use highlights the significance of addressing social isolation as a public health issue. Interventions to nurture social ties and reduce social isolation may have significant potential in preventing and managing SUDs,” conclude the study’s authors.

In 2023,  the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community, titled “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation,” examining the link between social isolation and health outcomes. According to the report’s findings, loneliness and social isolation increase the risk of premature death by 26% and 29%, respectively. The report also determined that social isolation among older adults alone accounts for an estimated $6.7 billion in excess Medicare spending annually, mostly due to increased hospital and nursing facility spending.

“Given the profound consequences of loneliness and isolation, we have an opportunity, and an obligation, to make the same investments in addressing social connection that we have made in addressing tobacco use, obesity, and the addiction crisis,” states the advisory.