SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “SOCIAL ISOLATION”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 541 records · Page 30Linked to original sources

PubMed1995

Correlates of multigravida women's binge drinking during pregnancy. A longitudinal study.

OBJECTIVE: To refine our understanding of prenatal psychosocial factors associated with binge drinking during pregnancy and the contribution of binge drinking during pregnancy to the duration of newborn hospitalization. DESIGN: Prospective cohort. SETTING: A large urban medical center in Wisconsin. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred thirty-nine women (106 multigravida) who were invited to participate during a prenatal clinic visit early in their third trimester. MEASURES: Prenatal measures included social support (Maternal Social Support Index), depression (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale), stress (Difficult Life Circumstances), substance use (Monitoring the Future Substance Use Questionnaire and T-ACE Scale [a screen with questions about tolerance, annoyance, cutting down, and using alcohol as an eye-opener), and maternal-fetal attachment (Maternal-Fetal Attachment Scale). After delivery, a mothers' and infants' medical record review form was used. RESULTS: Multigravida pregnant women (n = 106) were older than primigravida pregnant women (n = 33) (25.8 +/- 0.6 vs. 20.5 +/- 0.5 years; P = .001), with more children at home (2.3 +/- 0.2 vs 1.3 +/- 0.3; P = .01) and less social support (Maternal Social Support Index, 20.1 +/- 0.6 vs 22.9 +/- 1.0; P = .03). All of the binge-drinking women in this sample were in the unmarried multigravida subgroup (17/101 [17%]). Compared with multigravida pregnant women who did not binge drink during pregnancy, binge-drinking pregnant women were older (28.1 +/- 1.3 vs 25.1 +/- 0.6 years; P = .03) and more socially isolated (Maternal Social Support Index, 17.2 +/- 1.3 vs 20.7 +/- 0.7; P = .04) and were more likely to smoke during the pregnancy (82% vs 39%; P = .001). Even after controlling for a number of other important biologic and psychosocial factors (duration of pregnancy, maternal gravidity, racial heritage, education, social support at second trimester, and birth weight), by hierarchical multiple linear regression, binge drinking within the last 2 weeks before the late second-trimester interview continued to explain a significant amount of variance in duration of newborn hospitalization (total R2 = .48, partial R2 = .04; P = .01). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that binge drinking during pregnancy is related to longer newborn hospitalizations. Effective prenatal interventions to improve the outcome of pregnancies for women who abuse alcohol during pregnancy should use early screening and provide augmentation of mothers' social support.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

Social skills in schizophrenia: assessing the relationship between social skills, psychopathology and community functioning.

Social skills training (SST) has been widely used in attempts to rehabilitate chronic schizophrenic patients. The key assumption underlying SST is that social skills deficits are important determinants of the social isolation, poor social role functioning, and low quality of life characteristic of schizophrenic patients. To test this assumption, 89 patients meeting DSM-III-R criteria for schizophrenia were assessed on behavioural and self-report measures of social skills. A structured clinical interview, a self-report inventory of distress during social interaction, and self-monitoring of time in social interaction were used to assess social functioning. Positive psychotic symptoms were assessed in a standardised clinical interview. A structural equation modelling analysis showed that observed social skills predicted social functioning, and that this association was statistically independent of severity of psychotic symptoms. This finding is consistent with the hypothesis that social skills are important in the social functioning of patients with schizophrenia.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1985

Personal constructs in anorexia.

A repertory grid of 12 elements and 12 constructs was presented to 15 female subjects suffering from primary anorexia nervosa and 15 matched control subjects. Cluster analysis, as used by Makhlouf-Norris and Norris (1973) revealed that the anorexic group had a prevalence of segmented and monolithic structures and the normal group a prevalence of articulated structures. The relationships between the elements was examined and the anorexic group showed significantly more "ideal self" isolation, "social" and "present self" alienation than the control group. The average distance between the elements was significantly greater in the anorexic group than in the control group. Analysis of the first two components showed that the first component accounted for more variance than the second when compared to the normals. It is concluded that the repertory grid is a valid method of investigating the conceptual disturbance in anorexia nervosa.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2006

Illness-related stigma, mood and adjustment to illness in persons with hepatitis C.

We examined stigma in persons with hepatitis C and its relationship with mood and adjustment to illness. We studied 87 persons awaiting interferon treatment for hepatitis C at St James's Hospital, Dublin. Stigma was assessed using Fife's Experience of Illness scale. A structured clinical interview was used to establish DSM-IV diagnosis. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were also used as measures of mood. Factor analysis and clustering around latent variables analysis were used to assess scale structure and reliability. The stigma scale had an overall reliability of 0.94. A strong dimension of fear of disclosure emerged, from item analysis, together with dimensions of social isolation and social rejection. Stigma was higher in those in manual occupations and the unemployed than in those in non-manual occupation. There were high levels in those with disease associated with injecting drug use and iatrogenic disease caused by transfusion or anti-D blood products, and low levels in those who had been treated for haemophilia with contaminated products or whose hepatitis was of unknown origin. Adjusted for confounders, a 1-decile increase in stigma score had an odds ratio of 1.4 for DSM-IV depression and similar associations with depression on the HADS and BDI. Stigma was also associated with poorer work and social adjustment, lower acceptance of illness, higher subjective levels of symptoms and greater subjective impairment of memory and concentration. These associations were replicated in the non-depressed subsample. The results underline the strong link between stigma and well-being in hepatitis C. However, they also suggest that stigma is a complex construct that will require further research to elucidate.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1996

Crew compatibility and interaction.

A crew of four (three males and one male) were isolated for 60 days in hyperbaric chambers at DLR, Cologne, Germany. The aim of the study was to investigate how group functioning, relations with ground control, and interaction between crew members would change during isolation. A broad array of methods was used, including analysis of communication, peer ratings, questionnaires, and a post-isolation interview. The main findings are: 1. Group functioning declined at three times, immediately before and after the start of isolation, and in weeks 2 and 5; 2. Conflicts were often focused on project management. 3. Crew members showed a marked tendency to deny team conflicts, making them vulnerable to "group think;" 4. Towards the end of isolation, social factors were given more importance than task-related factors; 5. Lasting antagonism between two of the male crew members were noted, which made one of them withdraw from interaction, while the other one--the most dominant crew member--developed an alliance with the Commander. Several findings in this study are consistent with our earlier results from the ISEMSI study. The existence of several interpersonal issues has been identified, which are also likely to occur during actual space missions. Many of the interpersonal problems could probably be prevented or reduced through behavioral and sensitivity training, composition of crews according to compatibility, and monitoring of group functioning during the flight. We suggest that future simulation studies should be directed towards gaining practical experience in how to influence interpersonal relations in a desirable way. The joint training of ground crew and chamber crew created good co-operation between the two crews, but the adjustment to management requires more experience and new training procedures. The lack of formalized rules caused serious frustrations and negative feelings in both crews towards project management. Data from management and principal investigators were not available, but we suggest that such information should be collected in future simulation studies.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Community attitudes towards mental illness and socio-demographic characteristics: an Italian study].

AIM: To assess the association between socio-demographic characteristics and community attitudes towards mentally ill people. METHOD: We assessed a sample of 280 subjects, stratified for sex and age, which has identified using the electoral registers of Brescia. A letter was sent to everyone in order to introduce the future potential study participant to the topics of the public attitudes towards mental illness and it included an invitation to take part in the study. After, 280 subjects were contacted by telephone. Finally, 174 persons, who expressed their willingness to collaborate, were visited by a team of four trained interviewers. The instruments used were: a semi-structured interview; the Community Attitudes to the Mentally Ill (CAMI) inventory, which is composed by 40 statements, concerning the degree of acceptance of mental health services and mentally ill patients in the community; and the Fear and Behavioural Intentions (FABI) inventory, which is composed by 10 items, concerning fears and behavioural intentions towards mentally ill people. 106 subjects refused to participate. RESULTS: Factor analysis of the CAMI revealed three components Physical distance and fear, Social isolation and Social responsibility and tolerance. Factor 1 is associated with: people >61 years old; people being divorced/widowed/living separated; people who haven't participated in social or volunteer activities. Factor 2 is associated with: people > 41 years old; people being schooled at a level that's higher than elementary level; unemployed people. Factor 3 doesn't present any associations. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study outline the need to: a) promote interventions focused to improve the general attitude towards people with mental illness; b) to favour specific actions in order to prevent or eliminate prejudices in subgroups of the population.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Are the obese at greater risk for depression?

Two waves of data from a community-based study (Alameda County Study, 1994-1995) were used to investigate the association between obesity and depression. Depression was measured with 12 items covering Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for major depressive episode. Following US Public Health Service criteria, obese subjects were defined as those with body mass index scores at the 85th percentile or higher. Covariates were age, sex, education, marital status, social isolation and social support, chronic medical conditions, functional impairment, life events, and financial strain. Results were mixed. In cross-sectional analyses, greater odds for depression in 1994 were observed for the obese, with and without adjustment for covariates. When obesity and depression were examined prospectively, controlling for other variables, obesity in 1994 predicted depression in 1995 (odds ratio (OR) = 1.73, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.04, 2.87). When the data were analyzed with obesity defined as a body mass index of > or = 30, cross-sectional results were the same. However, the prospective multivariate analyses were not significant (OR = 1.43, 95% CI: 0.85, 2.43). Although these data do not resolve the role of obesity as a risk factor for depression, overall the results suggest an association between obesity and depression. The authors found no support for the "jolly fat" hypothesis (obesity reduces risk of depression). However, there has been sufficient disparity of results thus far to justify continued research.

Aged↗

PubMed1997

Prevalence and correlates of depression in an aging cohort: the Alameda County Study.

Data on symptoms of major depressive episodes were examined for the 1994 cohort (n = 2,417) of the Alameda County Study (mean age = 65). In addition to age, we examined gender, education, marital status, social isolation and social support, perceived physical and mental health, chronic medical conditions, functional impairment, life events, financial strain, and neighborhood quality. The point prevalence of symptoms of major depressive episodes was 6.6 percent for men and 10.1 percent for women, with a trend for prevalence to increase with age. When the effects of the other psychosocial risk factors were controlled, there were no significant age effects. Multivariate analyses demonstrated that apparent initial age effects were due almost entirely to chronic health problems and functional impairment. The implications are clear: Healthy, normal-functioning older adults are at no greater risk of depression than younger adults. Apparent age-related effects on depression are attributable to physical health problems and related disability.

Aged↗

PubMed2006

Social objectives in cancer care: the example of palliative day care.

Social objectives are poorly specified and evaluated in cancer care. Palliative day care is an example where social objectives are often identified but research has focused on health-care outcomes. A literature review identifies four types of social objective: emotional and spiritual care, general social care, services for families and carers and creative arts. Social objectives include: distinguishing between therapeutic work and leisure and supportive interventions, promoting service continuity, reducing social isolation, increasing social interaction, reassuring introduction to palliative care, rehearsal of reactions to illness with a sympathetic audience, integration of families and carers into care services, respite for carers and creative work for three separable objectives. It is argued that interventions to achieve social objectives may be defined and evaluated in a measurable way. Similarly, social objectives and interventions can be specified at other stages in the cancer journey.

Caregivers↗

PubMed1995

Moving beyond survival: coping behaviours of low-income single mothers.

The purposes of this study were to describe the psychosocial and environmental contexts affecting the lives of low-income, single mothers and to explore their everyday coping strategies. Nine mothers of preschool children participated in multiple, unstructured and semi-structured in-home interviews. Traumatic childhood experiences including death of a parent and abuse contributed to the mothers' depression and to their coping strategies for survival. The women used creative economic survival strategies such as bartering to meet their families' basic needs. Social isolation, downward social comparison, conflict avoidance, and self-reliance were the emotional self-protective survival strategies used. Strategies to move up economically and emotionally related to the women's desire for a better life for themselves and their families.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1992

Social support networks of adults with mental retardation who live at home.

The social support networks of 418 adults with mental retardation who live at home were found to be large, durable, active, and diverse in their composition. Family members predominated as members of these support networks. Differences were found in many network characteristics based on the gender and level of mental retardation of the adults. Males and those with the most severe mental retardation were found to be at risk for social isolation. Contrasts with the social support networks of adults in nonfamily settings were discussed.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1994

Social services to assist nutrition.

Social services to assist in improving nutritional status in older adults are reviewed. The social service interventions are placed in three broad categories of risk for older people to include poverty, social isolation, and dependency/disability. Each social service is identified and described to include eligibility and local resources. A social services intervention contact guide is provided as well as a state-by-stage aging services and resources directory.

Aged↗

PubMed1991

Recreating the village: the development of groups to improve social relationships among mothers of newborn infants in Australia.

There is a clear link between social relationships and health in terms of both morbidity and mortality. The study was conducted during 1989 and 1990 among mothers of newborn infants from a middle-ranking socioeconomic status suburb in Sydney (Ryde). Thirty-four per cent of the study group had a moderate level of social isolation and 16 per cent had a high level of social isolation. These mothers strongly valued participation in the groups: virtually all original participants remained with the group both during a five-week formal period with a nursing staff member as the leader and during months and up to five years of continued meetings. The outcomes appear to be favourable in terms of the development and continuation of strong interpersonal relationships among members of the group and by improved confidence and knowledge about infant rearing. The development of groups of mothers adds no cost to the provision of health services and provides a sound and practical way of reducing social isolation and increasing mothercraft skills in an Australian suburb.

Australia↗

PubMed1979

Influence of sociality following isolation on feeding rhythms of monkeys entrained to artificial light schedules.

Socialization following a period of isolation disrupted the feeding rhythms of monkeys entrained to artificial light schedules. When isolation was reinstituted, the performances of the subjects, which had shifted during socialization, reverted to profiles similar to but not the same as they were in the initial isolation period. The strength of the social factor may have derived, in part, from the effects of the isolation which preceded the socialization phase.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Social marginalization of overweight children.

BACKGROUND: Overweight is the most common health problem that faces children and adolescents. Although the correlation among overweight, low self-esteem, and depression is well known, social isolation among overweight children and adolescents has not been studied. OBJECTIVE: To investigate social networks of overweight and normal-weight adolescents in a large, nationally representative sample. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, nationally representative cohort study. Population A total of 90 118 adolescents aged 13 to 18 years who were enrolled in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, of which a 1:5 subsample was selected for detailed in-home assessment, including height and weight measurements (n = 17 557). Overweight was defined according to body mass index (>95th percentile for age and sex). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: This analysis focuses on the number of friendship nominations each adolescent received from other adolescents. The number of friendship nominations and other social network measures were calculated using statistical software. RESULTS: Overweight adolescents were more likely to be socially isolated and to be peripheral to social networks than were normal-weight adolescents. Although overweight adolescents listed similar numbers of friends as normal-weight adolescents, overweight adolescents received significantly fewer friendship nominations from others than were received by normal-weight adolescents (mean [SE] number of friendship nominations, 3.39 [0.08] vs 4.79 [0.04]; P<.001). Overweight adolescents were also more likely to receive no friendship nominations than were normal-weight adolescents (odds ratio, 1.71; 95% confidence interval, 1.39-2.20). Decreased television viewing (P<.001), increased levels of sports participation (P<.001), and increased participation in school clubs (P<.001) were associated with significantly more friendship nominations and higher network centrality scores among both overweight and normal-weight adolescents. CONCLUSIONS: Many overweight adolescents are socially marginalized. Such isolation may aggravate the social and emotional consequences of overweight in this age group.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Psychosocial factors and heart rate variability in healthy women.

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to investigate associations between psychosocial risk factors, including social isolation, anger and depressive symptoms, and heart rate variability in healthy women. METHODS: The study group consisted of 300 healthy women (median age 57.5 years) who were representative of women living in the greater Stockholm area. For the measurement of social isolation, a condensed version of the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List was used and household size assessed. Anger was measured by the anger scales previously used in the Framingham study and depressive symptoms by a questionnaire derived from Pearlin. Health behaviors were measured by means of standard questionnaires. From 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring, both time and frequency domain measures were obtained: SDNN index (mean of the SDs of all normal to normal intervals for all 5-minute segments of the entire recording), VLF power (very low frequency power), LF power (low frequency power), HF power (high frequency power), and the LF/HF ratio (low frequency by high frequency ratio) were computed. RESULTS: Social isolation and inability to relieve anger by talking to others were associated with decreased heart rate variability. Depressive symptoms were related only to the LF/HF ratio. Adjusting for age, menopausal status, exercise and smoking habits, history of hypertension, and BMI did not substantially change the results. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest heart rate variability to be a mediating mechanism that could explain at least part of the reported associations between social isolation, suppressed anger, and health outcomes.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Effects of perceived peer isolation and social support availability on the relationship between body mass index and depressive symptoms.

OBJECTIVE: To examine relationships between body mass index (BMI) and psychological correlates in Chinese school adolescents during the period of economic transition. DESIGN: Baseline data of 1655 Chinese adolescents aged 11-15 y were retrieved from a longitudinal smoking cessation and health promotion program in Wuhan, China. Assessments of body weight and height, depressive symptoms, perceived peer isolation (PPI) and perceived availability of social support (PASS) were collected. RESULTS: Based on the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) age-and sex-specific BMI cutoffs, 12.5% of boys and 9.2% of girls were overweight. In girls, high BMI was significantly related to higher self-reported depressive symptoms, and was dominantly mediated by PPI. On the contrary, high BMI boys reported significantly lower levels of PPI although high PPI level aggravated depressive symptoms. For both girls and boys, the observed effect of PPI on the relationship between BMI and depressive symptoms was sustained only in low PASS boys and girls. CONCLUSIONS: The present study revealed different effects of PPI on the association of BMI and depressive symptoms between boys and girls, which were buffered by levels of PASS. The findings of this study may contribute to our understanding of the influences of psychological correlates in pediatric overweight in the Eastern cultural environment.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1990

Improvement of the isolation-induced social behavioural deficit involves activation of the 5-HT1B receptors.

1. Mice were isolated for 7-9 days. An isolated mouse and a mouse reared in group showed a difference in their behaviour when observed together under an inverted beaker. The isolated mouse makes one half escape attempts in regard to the grouped mouse. This is considered as a social behavioural deficit. 2. 1- 3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl piperazine (TFMPP), 1-(3-chlorophenyl)piperazine (m-CPP) and 5-methoxy-3 (1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridin-4-yl) 1-H indole (RU-24969) activating preferentially the 5-HT1B receptors increased the number of escape attempts of the isolated mice up to the level of grouped mice. 3. Penbutolol, a beta-blocking drug acting also at 5-HT1 receptors, devoid of effect when given alone, antagonized significantly and dose-dependently the effects of TFMPP, m-CPP and RU-24969. 4. The interaction between TFMPP and five various serotonin antagonists was examined. Neither the 5-HT2 receptor antagonist ritanserine, the 5-HT3 receptor antagonist ICS 205-930, the 5-HT1C receptor antagonists mianserin and cyproheptadine antagonized the effect of TFMPP. The neuroleptic spiperone decreased by itself the number of escape attempts and opposed the TFMPP effect. 5. Taken together, these results suggest that the isolation-induced social behavioural deficit may be considered as a behavioural model responsive to 5-HT1B agonists.

Animals↗