Today, Lisbeth Mølgaard Laustsen defended her PhD dissertation entitled "Excess mortality, morbidity, and economic outcomes among individuals who are socially disconnected and the interplay with pre-existing mental disorders".

Individuals who are socially disconnected (e.g., lonely, socially isolated, or with low social support) face a higher risk of mortality and a particularly high risk of mental disorders compared with the general population. By combining survey and register data, this PhD project aimed to provide an overview of excess mortality (Study 1), morbidity (Study 3), and economic outcomes (Study 4) among individuals who are socially disconnected both with and without a co-occurring mental disorder. Furthermore, the project investigated the extent to which social disconnection could contribute to the higher mortality risk among individuals with mental disorders (Study 2).

The findings support that individuals who are socially disconnected, compared to those who are not, generally have higher mortality rates, higher incidence rates of medical conditions, higher healthcare costs, higher transfer payments, and lower wage income. Additionally, the findings suggested particularly high mortality rates among men with mental disorders who are also socially disconnected. Finally, aspects such as loneliness and social isolation could potentially explain part of the higher mortality risk among individuals with mental disorders. These results could help inform and guide tailored prevention efforts.

The summary is written by the PhD student.