# Positive social relations, loneliness, and immune system gene regulation

## TL;DR

Positive social relationships are linked to healthier gene activity in the immune system, separate from the effects of loneliness.

## Contribution

This study shows that positive social relations, not just the absence of loneliness, influence immune gene regulation.

## Key findings

- Positive social relations were associated with reduced CTRA gene expression in older adults.
- The effect was also observed in younger adults, especially in more collectivist contexts.
- Positive social relations and loneliness may be distinct processes affecting molecular well-being.

## Abstract

Perceived isolation (i.e., loneliness) has been linked to an immune response gene profile known as the conserved transcriptional response to adversity (CTRA), but little is known about how positive social relations might affect human genome function. We analyzed two studies of Korean adults to determine whether the positive qualities of an individual's general social relations with others (warmth, satisfaction, and trust; as measured by the Positive Relations with Others [PRWO] subscale of the The Ryff Scales of Psychological Well‐being) might be inversely associated with CTRA gene expression. In Study 1 (53 participants, mean age = 72 years, 47% female), PRWO were significantly associated with reduced CTRA profiles, even after controlling for loneliness. Similarly, in Study 2 (152 participants, mean age = 45 years, 50% female), PRWO were significantly associated with reduced CTRA profiles, particularly in the context of higher collectivism. These findings suggest that gene regulatory correlates of social flourishing extend beyond the absence of loneliness, and may contribute to health advantages associated with social well‐being. Loneliness and social flourishing may not simply represent opposite ends of a single continuum but rather function as related yet distinct processes affecting human molecular well‐being.

In two studies of Korean adults, positive social relations—characterized by warmth, satisfaction, and trust—are inversely associated with conserved transcriptional response to adversity (CTRA) gene expression, independent of loneliness. Social flourishing may benefit human molecular well‐being, above and beyond the absence of social isolation or loneliness.