Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the potential effect of loneliness and social isolation on recovery rates from (i) cardiovascular disease, (ii) cancer and (iii) mental health conditions.

The Department is investing over £1 billion a year in health research through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The NIHR’s research programmes provide a flexible source of funding. Applications are welcome for research into any aspect of human health, including research on the potential effect of loneliness and social isolation on recovery from Cardiovascular disease, cancer and mental health conditions; it is not usual practice to ring-fence funds for particular topics or conditions. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.

The NIHR funds a number of research projects exploring the potential effect of loneliness and social isolation on recovery rates from cardiovascular disease, cancer and mental health conditions. Studies range in their focus, from specific vulnerable groups such as the elderly, those with mental health conditions or learning disabilities to the wider impact of social isolation and loneliness on an individual’s physical and mental health and well-being. The NIHR is funding two large studies focussing on improving the quality of life for people with serious mental health conditions, for example a £2.7 million study which includes testing a targeted, intervention to expand social networks of patients with psychosis and a £3.95 million study on immersive virtual reality as a treatment to help individuals with schizophrenia safely and confidently enter everyday situations. A current trial is testing an intervention to improve the physical and mental health outcomes for people who may be isolated due to a range of physical, psychological and social factors. Other studies, whose primary focus is not loneliness or social isolation, explore the effects of these within a broader context, for example a current study is researching the specific late effects of chemotherapy (such as hearing loss) and the associate impact on quality of life, including social isolation.