Social support mediates loneliness and human herpesvirus type 6 (HHV-6) antibody titers

The current study investigated the impact of a severe environmental stresso r and the role that declining social integration played in mediating its ef fect on loneliness and immune status. Increased loneliness and decreased so cial support in the months following the stressor (storm) were significantl y associated with increased HHV-6 antibody titers, reflecting poorer contro l over the virus. Poorer social integration mediated the relationship betwe en loneliness and HHV-6, even after controlling for nonspecific polyclonal B-cell activation, disease status (CD3+CD4+ cell counts), living arrangemen ts, acute social losses (bereavement), and potential disruptions in social- support resources. These findings suggest that specific elements of social support may explain the oft-noted negative effects of loneliness on the imm une system, and generalized to a medically vulnerable population.