A new study from the University of Oxford, published in Public Health , shows that European people in the lowest income deciles are much more likely to feel lonely than those in the highest income deciles, despite no difference in how often they socialise. Furthermore, both poverty and loneliness were strongly associated with higher scores on a defensive symptom cluster characterised by elevated levels of pain, fatigue and low mood.
The study also showed that the symptom-reducing effects of social connection were strongest for people living in poverty. These findings have important implications for social, economic, and health policy, suggesting that strong social relationships may serve as important buffers against some of the health consequences of poverty.
The defensive symptom cluster refers to set of frequently co-occurring and mutually reinforcing symptoms that, understood from an evolutionary perspective, represent the body’s response to danger and scarcity. Humans evolved in groups which provided access to resources and protection from danger; when we feel socially excluded or isolated our bodies respond with a set of symptoms that are meant to protect us, for example pain helps protect us from injury, and fatigue and low mood may help us conserve energy.
Researchers, led by Dr Arran Davis of the School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography, University of Oxford, examined data from a survey of 24,505 respondents across 20 European countries.
Key findings include:
Past research has identified supportive social relationships as buffers to the negative effects of poverty. The findings from this study suggest that as material resources decrease the importance of social resources increase, with those who are both in poverty and lonely displaying the highest symptom cluster scores.
Lead author, evolutionary anthropologist, Dr Arran Davis said:
“The relationship between poverty and poor health is well established, and previous research suggests that loneliness may be as bad for you as smoking. Our study shows that for people who are both on low incomes and lonely the health costs are particularly marked. I hope this study inspires more research into the factors that lead people to feel socially disconnected and to the development of policies that support strong communities in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas.”
Read the paper in full: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2025.02.037
Notes to editors
For more information contact Rachael Rees, Communications Officer, School of Anthropology & Museum Ethnography, news@anthro.ox.ac.uk , +44 (0) 7500082362
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Public Health
Associations amongst poverty, loneliness, and a defensive symptom cluster characterised by pain, fatigue, and low mood