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April 27, 2021 3:54 pm
Talking on the phone for 10 minutes could make you feel less lonely, study says
A month of 10-minute phone calls could make you feel 20% less lonely, a new study has found.
(CNN)Talking to someone on the phone for 10 minutes multiple times a week -- if you're in control of the conversation -- can decrease loneliness, a new study revealed.
Half of the 240 study participants were selected to receive brief phone calls from volunteers over the course of a month, and they reported feeling 20% less lonely on average, according to the study published Tuesday in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.
Volunteers briefly trained in empathetic communication skills, which involved active listening and asking questions about what their subject was talking about, said lead study author Maninder "Mini" Kahlon, associate professor of population health and executive director of Factor Health at Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin.
The study participants, all clients of Meals on Wheels Central Texas, led the conversations, which allowed them to define the agenda of the calls.
"Sometimes the agenda is just feeling like they have control," Kahlon said.
They might not have control in other aspects of their lives, but they can control the conversation, she said.
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The first week, volunteers called participants five days during the week at times the participants said were best for them. In the subsequent weeks, participants chose whether to receive as few as two calls per week or as many as five.
Conversations were a little over 10 minutes the first week, Kahlon said, but they evened out to 10 minutes during the rest of the month-long study. Participants talked about a variety of subjects including their own daily lives and asked about their volunteers' lives.
Both the participants who received phone calls and the control group who did not had loneliness, anxiety and depression measured on scientific scales at the start and end of the month. Researchers also measured the study subjects' anxiety and depression because those disorders could also be affected by the calls, Kahlon said.
On the three-question UCLA Loneliness Scale, which ranges from three to nine, phone call participants averaged 6.5 at the beginning and ended with 5.2.
There is no standardized way to interpret how much of a shift is clinically meaningful, Kahlon said, but the participants' numbers dropped a significant amount "so that means we really made a meaningful impact on them," she said.
Anxiety and depression saw an even greater decrease, with an over 30% decrease on the GAD-7 scale and a nearly 24% decrease on the PHQ-8 scale, respectively.
Those results were "even more striking than the loneliness impact because we hadn't necessarily expected that degree of results," Kahlon said.
This study is promising and can help guide how people translate evidence into practice, said Julianne Holt-Lunstad, professor of psychology and neuroscience at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, who was not involved in the study.
She said she has seen a lot of community-based approaches to decreasing loneliness, but it's rare to find a clinically tested approach.
Holt-Lunstad said she wished the volunteers' emotional levels were measured in addition to the phone call and control group participants because they may have seen positive emotional shifts as well.
"Some research suggests that actually providing support and volunteering can also significantly impact some of these very same outcomes, including loneliness," Holt-Lunstad said.
Putting the findings into practice
It's important to reach out to family and friends in your life who you see might be feeling low, Kahlon said.
"I definitely try to work on my communication with my mom," she said, and she works to prioritize listening to her loved ones and allowing them to run the conversations.
If you're feeling lonely, Kahlon recommended reaching out to someone in your family and friend networks who you trust to talk to them.
It can be difficult because "the reality is, this can only happen if there's someone else who takes an interest in you," she said.
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She suggested looking at your network and reaching out to who you believe will be "non-judgmental and truly interested in hearing you out."
Kahlon's goal is to continue testing this program method and applying it on a larger scale so more people can benefit from the findings.
Topic starter
April 27, 2021 4:02 pm
I enjoy a phone call from friends and family. I used to talk on the phone to my mom everyday. She enjoyed telling me about her day and hearing about mine. We would laugh together and I would always feel better. I had a good friend that I would talk to a couple of times a week. She was very funny and we had some good discussions. Both of them have died and now I do not have that connection. It is lonely without them and their phone calls. It was hard to get used to a new normal.
May 17, 2021 9:51 pm
I can totally agree with this and see this helping many people. I have made 2 very drastic moves in my life over the past several years. Not having my long time friends and family here to talk to and see everyday can definitely feel lonely at times. I face-time my sister a couple times a week every week which definitely helps a lot.
May 18, 2021 12:13 am
me and my ex used to talk on the phone everyday and we would fall asleep on the phone together because we were long distance but we recently broke up so it has definetly been hard trying to get used to not getting that phone call and essentially being alone most nights. it does make me feel lonely sometimes but learning to get comfortable being by yourself is a great way to combat that loneliness.
May 18, 2021 12:14 am
@kaytlynmolinaiectskin-com facetime is my favorite way to communicate. i would rather see a loved one's face while hearing them talk rather than just hearing their voice but sometimes you just take what you can get
Topic starter
May 19, 2021 9:01 am
Yes Jayden being alone with yourself and comfortable is a good thing. Not all the time of course but I think we all nee some alone time to decompress from the day or week. I used to be afraid to be alone but now I really enjoy my time.
Topic starter
May 19, 2021 9:54 am
Kaytlyn
I do not have much family left so I do not travel to my hometown in Ma. It does feel very lonely that I can't share my day or events that happen in my life with them anymore. I have felt a great loss of communication
June 20, 2021 6:48 pm
Phone calls can be so important in not only staying connected socially but maintaining relationships. I think video calls are one of the best inventions to come along with modern technology. Both of the two people I'm closest to in my life don't live near me and regularly FaceTiming definitely helps to maintain these relationships and also help me feel like I'm still getting the socialization I need with close friends. It's interesting to think about how this can impact how you feel on a day to day basis just with a call from someone, no matter how short it is.
Topic starter
June 21, 2021 10:42 am
I agree Delaney and Kaytlyn.
Seeing family and friends faces on a video call is great. It really seems like your in touch and less isolated. I have a few friends that I have watched their families throughout the years. It is good to see them and hear their voice even if its a long way away
October 4, 2021 4:05 pm
I enjoy talking on the phone and Facetime rather than texting. So many things can go wrong while texting like assuming someones tone or reading into things they've said. Also response time contributes to my liking of phone calls as well because id rather call say what i have to say or ask my question and get my answer immediately rather than wait around. Ive been in long distance relationships and friendships that fully rely on facetime. I can agree that a simple call can make you feel less lonely and change your day around.
October 4, 2021 4:07 pm
@jaydensugickiectskin-com FACTSSS! I was in a long distance relationship for about two years and we always took time out of our busy schedule to have facetime dates and such. When we went our seperate ways i had a hard time adjusting but i agree with the article that it can definetely be comforting.
October 4, 2021 4:09 pm
@delaneyhiggonsiectskin-com I agree that its essential to maintaining relationships in general. The saying "the phone works both ways" has been very prevalent in my life. A few minute call just to check in with someone can completely change their day.
October 4, 2021 4:10 pm
I totally agree with you. I used to only prefer texting because it was easier and something that all my friends preferred. As I have gotten older it almost always seems easier to call and talk to someone because as you said people can "read into tones" or read the texts wrong and get the wrong idea and I HATE THAT. Who know in this day and generation texting anxiety would be a thing. I almost always have to reread my texts and make sure they wont offend someone before I send them, but ultimately that's why nowadays I prefer phone calls. When it comes to loneliness though, I totally agree that calling someone up or facetiming a friend who lives out of state it a great way to make you feel better.
Topic starter
October 4, 2021 4:19 pm
I agree with you all that a simple phone call can help a person through a hard time. My mom felt lonely and during the day she had no one to talk to. I worked so when I left work I would call her and talk to her most of the way home from Va Beach. She really appreciated it and told me so many times. My brother called her several times a week at night to just hear about her day, and tell her about his. It helped both of us too.
I miss calling her and sometimes I'll think wow my mom would laugh so hard about my day.
I too like to text Sydney. I communicate with a cousin though text as its just what we like to do rather than call a couple times a week
October 24, 2021 7:35 pm
@deborahwatersiectskin-com I also like to text! I actually prefer it over phone calls. For some reason I hate talking on the phone but I can text all day.
Topic starter
November 3, 2021 3:02 pm
I reread my texts also as some words get auto generated and the word is not even making sense with the text conversation. I like phone conversations if I have time but it seems I'm always doing multiple tasks so texting is just faster for me
July 3, 2022 12:33 pm
I agree talking on the phone does brighten my day. I believe its also became a must during the pandemic since we couldnt go see our loved ones during this time. Talking on the phone also allows us to be able to vent about the things that are bothering us.
July 3, 2022 12:35 pm
@kaytlynmolinaiectskin-com I agree when distance is involved its best to set up weekly phone calls. I facetime my grandpa every friday. When its added to your weekly routine it becomes something that you start to look forward to.
July 3, 2022 12:37 pm
@deborahwatersiectskin-com Video calls are my favorite form of communication. It makes me feel at home and like they are right there with me. Its also easier than text because we can see facial expression, hear tone of voice etc.
July 3, 2022 10:09 pm
Talking on the phone makes you feel so much more comfortable if your talking with a loved one. I love having long talks on the phone when you havent seen your best friend in a couple days.
This post was modified 2 years ago by Cameran Riddle
July 3, 2022 10:12 pm
@abigailcochraneiectskin-com I completley get that text are just not the same. On the phone you can just talk about something and get a response immeditaly or rather on text you wait a couple min till they reply.
July 3, 2022 10:14 pm
@camiryndavisiectskin-com The pandemic was a hard one for everyone being able to see each other. It important that you call and check up on your loved ones. Talking on the phone for a couple minutes could brighten someone's day if there all alone.
January 22, 2023 1:18 pm
I agree with this passage. I talk to my friends and family on the phone on a daily basis during my drive to and from school/work and I feel like keeping up with my friends makes me better friend being more involved in each others life even with a busy schedule. I have a best friend that recently moved 24 hours away so that phone call from her is very important to me.
January 22, 2023 1:34 pm
@delaneyhiggonsiectskin-com You are right! I feel where you are coming from, I don't have a lot of friends, my bestest friend moved a long way from me and it was really hard because that was my person I went to for every little thing but getting to facetime her makes me feel less lonely.
January 22, 2023 1:37 pm
@abigailcochraneiectskin-com I agree that texting can sometimes be misinterpreted. A facetime is more like a real conversation rather than throwing words at them through a text.
February 1, 2023 5:27 pm
As I've gotten older I've learned to love phone calls. You are able to hear emotions better which I think makes the conversation much better. I do try and talk to my friends from back home and my boyfriend often or everyday so I don't feel like I'm getting out of touch with them. Being able to talk to certain people on the phone/facetime does make me feel less lonely.
February 1, 2023 5:33 pm
@kaytlynmolinaiectskin-com I can agree! Since I moved from Richmond it was hard at first not having anyone to hang out with/ talk to, so talking to my friends from home over the phone or facetime helps.
February 1, 2023 5:37 pm
@abigailcochraneiectskin-com There have been so many times that I have texted something and the person that I texted took it the wrong way. This usually results in me having to explain what I meant over the phone. When I have the time calling is my go to.
January 30, 2024 2:44 pm
I love calling and talking to family and friends, it makes me feel good about myself for staying in touch, especially if it is someone I do not see very often. Sometimes small things such as talking about your day just relieves stress instantly.
January 30, 2024 2:46 pm
@deborahwatersiectskin-com I used to call my mom a whole lot and talk to her and I loved to hear about her day, I admired her so much. Since she has passed I call her mom, my grandma whenever I can. She loves to hear from me especially because I can't see her much. I can tell a simple phone call makes our days much better.
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