How loneliness affects aging and health in people with schizophrenia
Official title: The impact of social isolation on aging health in schizophrenia
Funded at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai · NIH-11371731 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are seeing if lack of social contact speeds up physical health problems in older adults with schizophrenia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2022 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $32,786 |
| NIH project number | 3R01MH128971-04S2 |
| Project ID | NIH-11371731 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are older adults (around age 65 and up) who have a diagnosis of schizophrenia or related psychotic disorders and can take part in follow-up visits.
✕Less likely to help
People without schizophrenia, much younger adults, or those unable to participate in follow-up are unlikely to gain direct benefit from joining.
What this research studies
If you join, you'll be followed over time and asked about your social contacts, daily activities, mental health, and physical health. The project will combine people with schizophrenia and comparison participants from sites in Europe (EU-GEI) and the US (Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center) to create a shared database of about 650 people. Study teams will use surveys, medical records, and possible biological measures to track signs of earlier aging and new medical conditions. The aim is to understand whether persistent social isolation helps explain why people with schizophrenia develop health problems earlier than others.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could point to social connection as a practical target to help delay health problems and improve lifespan in people with schizophrenia.
How similar studies have gone: Smaller pilot studies have linked social isolation to poorer health in schizophrenia, but large, long-term international studies like this are relatively new.
Where this research is happening
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Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Reichenberg, Abraham — Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- Study coordinator: Reichenberg, Abraham
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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How social isolation affects aging health in schizophrenia
This project explores how being socially isolated may speed up health problems as people with schizophrenia age.
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How Social Isolation Impacts Aging in People with Schizophrenia
This study looks at how social isolation affects aging and health in people with schizophrenia to see if loneliness and lack of social contact worsen medical problems as they grow older.
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How social isolation affects aging health in schizophrenia
A patient-friendly look at how being socially isolated might influence aging and health in people with schizophrenia.
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The effect of social isolation on aging health in people with schizophrenia
This study explores how being socially isolated may speed up aging-related health problems in people with schizophrenia.
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How social isolation affects aging health in schizophrenia
This research looks at how being isolated socially might influence health and aging in people with schizophrenia.
-
How social isolation affects aging and health in people with schizophrenia
This project is tracking whether loneliness and lack of social contact are linked to earlier health problems in older adults living with schizophrenia.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.