The lifelong consequences of social connection

This article originally appeared on the Character & Context Blog from the Society for Personality and Social Psychology.

The ties that bind — and fray

Using data from over 6000 participants in the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study, we developed a new way of measuring social well-being across early life and later adulthood. This measure of cumulative social advantage looks at the number, quality, and supportiveness of people’s relationships — from childhood caregivers to adult friends, family, and community ties.

Our findings reveal a consistent pattern: individuals who report more supportive, less stressful, and more diverse relationships — starting in childhood and continuing into adulthood — also tend to report better physical and psychological health in midlife. These results suggest that being connected to others helps not only in the moment — the benefits add up over time.

Social ties and health

Sociologist Robert Putnam famously distinguished between “bonding” and “bridging” social capital — strong ties within close-knit groups (like close family and friends) versus weaker ties that connect people across diverse social circles (like co-workers and community members). Both types matter for health. When either type of social network stayed the same or grew stronger in midlife, people enjoyed better health later on.

These findings highlight that social relationships are like a reserve of support. As with financial investments, their benefits compound over time, helping to protect people against life’s challenges.

Unequal investments, unequal returns

But not everyone has equal access to social connection. Developing close relationships and keeping them strong takes time, emotional energy, and often financial security — resources that are not available to all. For people facing poverty, unstable employment, and demanding caregiving responsibilities, making and keeping strong social ties can be a challenge.

These barriers can contribute to a pattern of social loss over time, leading to poorer health as people age. This is an example of a process called equigenesis — having supportive social ties can help protect people from adversity and provide them with an equal chance for good health, but when people face situations that make it difficult to form and keep social ties, inequalities in health grow wider.

What can be done

Strengthening social connection should be a priority for public health. Policies that promote volunteering, lifelong learning, and intergenerational programs can help people build new relationships (bridging ties), especially in later life. Practical support like affordable childcare, flexible work policies, and safe public gathering spaces makes it easier to stay connected.

These interventions need to start early — through efforts such as school-based programs, family support services, and community mentoring. Just like saving money, the earlier people build and keep strong social ties, the greater the return over time.

Staying connected keeps people healthy

In a world where many interactions happen online and where people are becoming more and more socially isolated, it is easy to underestimate the quiet power of daily social connection. But our findings underscore a simple truth: To age well is not simply to stay physically healthy — it is to stay connected.