Mindfulness training reduces loneliness and increases social contact in a randomized controlled trial
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America February 11, 2019 Emily K. Lindsay, S. Young, K. Brown et al.
A two-week smartphone-based mindfulness training that teaches both monitoring of present-moment experiences and an orientation of acceptance reduced loneliness by 22% and increased social contact by about two more interactions and one more person each day among community adults. Training that taught monitoring alone did not produce these benefits, showing that developing acceptance skills is a critical mechanism for mitigating loneliness and social isolation. The findings point to a behavioral target for improving social-relationship functioning.