Social support is one of the least focused on areas of health, and yet it has one of the most powerful influences. Support can come in the form of a spouse, a close-knit family, a network of friends, a church or other groups. Even a connection to animals can have a powerful, positive effect on one’s well-being.

The link between social support and health is very strong. So many studies have supported this powerful link that it has been given a name — the Roseto effect. The name comes from a study that spanned fifty years in the little town of Roseto, Pennsylvania. Researchers discovered that the incidence of coronary heart disease in Roseto at the beginning of the period was about half that of the two neighboring towns, despite the same risk factors in all three locations.

What was the difference? Researchers discovered that Roseto was settled by a tightly-knit group of religious immigrants from Southern Italy. During the first thirty years of the study, they were characterized by a high level of social connectedness: extensive intermarriage, strong family ties and a supportive, nurturing community. The researchers hypothesized that this high level of social connectedness might buffer residents from heart disease and early death. This was shown to be true when, in the 1960s and 1970s, the cohesiveness of the community began to weaken and the heart disease rates in Roseto climbed to the same levels as those in the other two communities.

Drs. Syme and Berkman have co-authored what many consider to be the definitive study on social support and the risk of death. The Alameda County Study is one of the most quoted studies in the field of health. “Statistically, under the topic of social support, this is one of the strongest areas under study,” says Dr. Syme, professor of epidemiology at the University of California at Berkeley and one of the leading experts on relationships. This study, which dealt with more than seven thousand people followed for forty years, showed:

  • People classified as lonely and isolated had three times higher mortality rates.
  • People with many social contacts had the lowest mortality rates.
  • The amount of social support was the best predictor of good health.


In this study, the association between social and community ties and premature death was found to be independent of the more powerful predictors of health and longevity: age, gender, race, socioeconomic status, self-reported physical health status and health practices (e.g., smoking, alcohol consumption, overeating, physical activity and utilization of preventive health services). Those who lacked social ties had an increased risk of dying from coronary heart disease, stroke, cancer, respiratory diseases, gastrointestinal diseases and other causes of death.

Many more large-scale studies have replicated and confirmed the results from the Alameda research. Each gives additional valuable information regarding the effects of social connectedness on the quality and length of our lives. The data gathered in these studies include all different types of populations and many different countries.

The Roseto Effect and the Alameda County Study are testaments to the power our interpersonal relationships have in helping us feel whole. As we navigate our own paths, we should strive to nurture these relationships, fostering a sense of community as a key step in the transformative journey toward wholeness.