Laughing During Conversations, But Not in Response to Digital Media, Is Associated With Less Loneliness, Social Isolation, and Social Withdrawal: A Cross-Sectional Study of German Adults in 2023
Issued Date
2025-11-01
Resource Type
eISSN
23988835
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-105020206178
Journal Title
Health Science Reports
Volume
8
Issue
11
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Health Science Reports Vol.8 No.11 (2025)
Suggested Citation
Hajek A., Sutin A.R., Veronese N., Soysal P., Jacob L., Luchetti M., Gyasi R.M., Kostev K., Pengpid S., Peltzer K., Terracciano A., König H.H. Laughing During Conversations, But Not in Response to Digital Media, Is Associated With Less Loneliness, Social Isolation, and Social Withdrawal: A Cross-Sectional Study of German Adults in 2023. Health Science Reports Vol.8 No.11 (2025). doi:10.1002/hsr2.71354 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/112904
Title
Laughing During Conversations, But Not in Response to Digital Media, Is Associated With Less Loneliness, Social Isolation, and Social Withdrawal: A Cross-Sectional Study of German Adults in 2023
Author's Affiliation
Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf
Mahidol University
China Medical University Hospital
University of the Free State
Southern Cross University
Universitätsklinikum Gießen und Marburg, Standort Marburg
Bezmiâlem Vakıf Üniversitesi
Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU)
Centre de Recherche Epidémiologiques et Bio Statistiques de Sorbonne Paris Cité (CRESS)
Florida State University College of Medicine
Hôpital Fernand-Widal
Università degli Studi di Palermo, Scuola di Medicina e Chirurgia
Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu
College of Medical and Health Science
African Population and Health Research Center
Mahidol University
China Medical University Hospital
University of the Free State
Southern Cross University
Universitätsklinikum Gießen und Marburg, Standort Marburg
Bezmiâlem Vakıf Üniversitesi
Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU)
Centre de Recherche Epidémiologiques et Bio Statistiques de Sorbonne Paris Cité (CRESS)
Florida State University College of Medicine
Hôpital Fernand-Widal
Università degli Studi di Palermo, Scuola di Medicina e Chirurgia
Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu
College of Medical and Health Science
African Population and Health Research Center
Corresponding Author(s)
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
Background and Aims: Due to the limited knowledge in this study area, we aimed to investigate the association of frequency of laughter with loneliness, social isolation (perceived and objective social isolation), and social withdrawal. Methods: Cross-sectional data were from an online German sample of adults aged 18–74 years (n = 5000 individuals; data collection in late summer 2023). The De Jong Gierveld tool was used to quantify loneliness. The Lubben Social Network Scale was used to quantify objective social isolation, and the Bude and Lantermann tool was used to measure perceived social isolation. The German version of the 25-item Hikikomori Questionnaire was used to measure social withdrawal. A frequently used tool was applied to quantify (1) the frequency of laughter and (2) the occasion on which one laughs (conversations with people, consuming digital media, cultural events, reading, other). Results: Frequent laughter was significantly associated with less loneliness, social isolation (both objective and perceived), and social withdrawal. Notably, laughing during conversations and cultural events was consistently linked to these outcomes, while laughing while consuming digital media showed no significant association. Laughing while reading and laughing while doing other things were partly associated with the outcomes. Conclusion: A higher frequency of laughter was associated with lower levels of loneliness, social isolation, and social withdrawal. Laughing while having conversations with people and attending cultural events were associated with more social integration, whereas laughing while consuming digital media was not significantly associated with any outcomes. These findings suggest that laughter could help reinforce social connections and help address the challenges of loneliness, but these associations need further testing with interventions and longitudinal research.