Spending time with people who regularly cause problems or make life harder—what researchers call “hasslers”—appears linked to faster biological aging and poorer health. A recent study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences examined this connection by combining social-network reports with saliva-based epigenetic measures in a community sample.
The study analyzed 2,345 Indiana residents aged 18–103 (average ~46). Participants listed close contacts from the previous six months and identified anyone who “often hassled them, caused problems, or made life difficult.” Networks averaged just over five people, and roughly 8.1% of those ties were labeled hasslers. Nearly 29% of participants reported at least one hassler in their network; 10% reported two or more, showing that persistent negative ties are fairly common.
Biological aging was estimated using epigenetic markers measured from saliva. The researchers found a consistent association: each additional hassler in a person’s network corresponded to about a 1.5% increase in the pace of biological aging—roughly the equivalent of aging 1.015 biological years for each chronological year per added hassler. The authors emphasize these are associations, not proof of causation, and note that exposure to hasslers tends to cluster in certain groups rather than being randomly distributed.
Patterns in who reported hasslers were notable. Women were less likely than men to report zero hasslers and generally named more hasslers overall. People with adverse childhood experiences, those with larger social networks, daily smokers, and individuals in poorer health were more likely to have hasslers, suggesting social and health vulnerabilities increase the likelihood of difficult ties. Hasslers were often family members—parents and children were cited more frequently than spouses—and outside the family, co-workers, neighbors, and roommates were named more often than friends.
Negative effects extended beyond epigenetic measures. Each additional hassler was associated with worse outcomes across several health domains, particularly mental health. More hasslers correlated with higher depression and anxiety severity and poorer self-rated mental health. Physical-health and adiposity-related associations were smaller but still significant. The authors and other experts point to chronic stress from difficult relationships as a plausible mechanism: prolonged interpersonal stress can affect blood pressure, gastrointestinal and immune function, sleep, concentration, appetite, and emotional regulation.
Because hasslers often include unavoidable people—family members, roommates, or colleagues—cutting contact isn’t always realistic. Instead, experts recommend strategies you can control: practice self-care, set clear boundaries grounded in your values, and use coping tools like journaling, meditation, exercise, and grounding techniques. Framing boundaries around values and communicating needs with compassion can reduce harm without escalating conflict. Taking regular breaks from stressful interactions and engaging in calming activities are practical ways to manage exposure.
In short, stressful close ties are common and tend to concentrate among more vulnerable people. They’re associated with faster epigenetic aging and worse mental and physical health outcomes. While this study shows correlation rather than direct causation, limiting exposure when feasible and strengthening coping and boundary skills are sensible steps for protecting health.