Social connections and health in older adults with schizophrenia
Official title: The impact of social isolation on aging health in schizophrenia
Funded at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai · NIH-11371739 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will look at whether being socially isolated speeds up health problems as people with schizophrenia get older.
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) | $95,225 |
| NIH project number | 3R01MH128971-04S3 |
| Project ID | NIH-11371739 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults diagnosed with schizophrenia or related psychotic disorders, especially those aged 65 and older or entering older age, are the best match for this project.
✕Less likely to help
People without schizophrenia or those who are not socially isolated are unlikely to receive direct benefit from participation.
What this research studies
You'll be invited to join a group of about 650 people — roughly 500 with schizophrenia and 150 comparison participants — who will be followed over time. Researchers will collect information about your social contacts, medical history, and health measurements and link these over several years to see how isolation relates to earlier onset of medical problems. The work brings together long-term data from European (EU-GEI) and U.S. (Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center at Mount Sinai) sites to build a shared longitudinal database. Results will be used to guide ways to reduce preventable health decline tied to loneliness and social isolation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to social isolation as a modifiable factor to help slow early health decline in people with schizophrenia.
How similar studies have gone: Research in the general population links social isolation to worse physical health and pilot data show similar associations in schizophrenia, but applying this approach to explain accelerated aging in schizophrenia is 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.
-
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.