The health benefits of belonging
By: Dr. James Aw. Chief Medical Officer, OMERS
November 9, 2026
“Culture eats strategy for lunch” and “Business moves at the speed of trust” are quotes often heard from OMERS CEO, Blake Hutcheson. A culture that promotes kindness, respect, service and regular connection at work, school and neighbourhoods are important for overall health and wellbeing of both individuals and the public. Belonging is the human emotional need to feel safe, valued and included as an authentic part of a group, place or community. A strong sense of belonging is associated with improved mental health, physical health and lower mortality. Studies have shown that a lack of social connection (loneliness, social isolation) is recognized as a public health risk factor as much as smoking, obesity and physical inactivity. Belonging helps shape youth wellbeing, ageing well and has positive impacts on greater happiness, self-esteem and resilience. So, let’s unpack why belonging is so important to health!
Mental and physical wellbeing
A sense of belonging acts as a buffer to depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation and cognitive decline. The young and the old are particularly vulnerable. For youth wellbeing, belonging is heavily influenced by the level of support from family, school and peer environments during the critical formative years. Loneliness worsens mental health, whereas social isolation also negatively impacts physical health. Social connection variables include the structure (e.g. network size, marital status, living alone, contacts), function of connections (e.g. perceived and received social support, social roles) and the quality of connections (e.g. relationship satisfaction, strain, ambivalence). A weak sense of belonging has been linked to increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, worsening dementia and avoidable hospitalizations.
Longevity and the good life
Studies have shown that greater social connection and belonging has a protective effect comparable to avoiding smoking, alcohol and regular exercise. It has been suggested that poor social relationships equate to smoking 15 cigarettes a day! Loneliness increases all-cause mortality by around 32%, social isolation increases mortality risk by around 14%, and both increase cardiovascular risk by 15-30%. The factors are multi-factorial, but some of the proposed physiological mechanisms include chronic stress on the neuroendocrine system, inflammation, vascular changes, poor lifestyle and decreased access to medical care. Social connection counteracts some of these effects by improving immune function and reducing systemic inflammation. The Harvard Study of Adult Development (Dr. Robert Waldinger) found that the number one factor in happiness, health and longevity is positive relationships. Key elements of positive relationships include safety and security, learning and growth, emotional closeness and confiding, identity affirmation and shared experience, romantic intimacy, help, fun and relaxation. Belonging is also essential for thriving and flourishing which is an active area of study in positive psychology.
What about belonging in the workplace?
The 2022 US Surgeon General’s Framework for Workplace Mental Health and Well-being promotes five essentials: Protection from Harm (psychological safety), Connection and Community, Work-Life Harmony, Mattering at Work and Opportunities for Growth. It is tough to feel part of a group if the work environment shows lack of recognition, bullying, lack of purpose and growth, absence of camaraderie, poorly functioning teams, worker isolation and lack of fairness, all of which lead to negative health impacts and burnout. Studies in healthcare workers have shown that colleague support and workplace trust predicted later resilience and stronger perceived ability to recover from stress and protection from burnout. Belonging in the workplace should include physical and psychological safety, social support, trust and feeling valued, which can lead to higher life and job satisfaction.
Work performance is also improved with ongoing support, constant feedback, clear goals and a strong sense of purpose/meaning. A strong sense of belonging with positive social connections (leader and colleague support) can help achieve flow state (optimization of skills and challenge, peak performance), and dealing with stressful work periods where there are imbalances of job demand-control and effort reward. Belonging helps develop resilience, hope and adaptive coping (buffering how strongly we react and recover to stressors).
Where you live, work and play also impact your health. The World Health Organization defines the social determinants of health as the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age, and access to resources has a powerful influence on health (80% of a person’s health outcomes). Financial health is also impacted by belonging to groups such as pension plans, which have been found to improve mental health and overall wellbeing.
So, where do I start?
You may already have a strong sense of belonging to your family, workplace and community. If so, be grateful and keep going! For others that feel disconnected and neglected, then start where you are. Some books that I recommend to patients include Together by Dr. Vivek Murthy, The Good Life by Dr. Robert Waldinger and Wherever you go, there you are by Jon Kabat Zinn. There is no single intervention that improves a sense of belonging, but a multi-pronged approach seems to work best. Social interventions may improve isolation but don’t always combat loneliness. Psychological interventions include cognitive behavioural therapy techniques that try to address improving social skills, social support and maladaptive cognition (reframing, addressing individual barriers). Primary care physicians may suggest social prescribing, which links patients to community activities like arts, exercise gardening, volunteering, etc. Developing mastery at a hobby is a great way to belong to communities, create psychological detachment from work and self-identify with successes in different ways (self-complexity, personal growth). At work, try to get to know your co-workers, participate in social events and think about volunteering for interest groups (Employee Resource Groups).
Belonging has many health benefits, and it also brings joy and fun to life! Keep working on your social fitness; it’s good for you!
The information, content and material provided by OMERS Administration Corporation at each link on this page is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to be, or to substitute for, medical advice. Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare professional if you have any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment and do not disregard or delay seeking professional medical advice because of the content provided at any of the links on this page. OMERS AC and its affiliates and other investment entities are not responsible or liable in any manner for your use of or reliance on the above information.
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