A UNIVERSITY of Aberdeen study has secured an elusive £5m grant to study how social relationships influence people in later life. The University of Aberdeen’s study will explore how the social relationships we develop influence health, wellbeing and resilience as life goes on. While social connection is one of the strongest predictors of health and wellbeing in later life, around one in four adults worldwide experience loneliness. Professor Phillips continued: “Population ageing means that more adults than ever experience social disconnection, making this an urgent societal challenge. “Despite this, there are major gaps in understanding about which aspects of social interaction are most important and how lifelong social patterns influence wellbeing in later life.