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Results for “SOCIAL ISOLATION”

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PubMedDate not supplied

The effects of a special computer network on caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease.

Caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease (AD) are confronted with novel decision-making tasks that leave them at risk for social isolation. ComputerLink is a computer network providing information, communication, and decision-support functions for caregivers of persons with AD. One hundred two AD caregivers participated in a randomized field experiment to evaluate the effects of ComputerLink on confidence in decision making, decision-making skill, and social isolation. During the 1-year study period, AD caregivers averaged two encounters per week with ComputerLink for sessions lasting an average of 13 minutes. Access to ComputerLink enhanced caregivers' decision-making confidence. Decision-making skill was unaffected. ComputerLink access did not lead to changes in social isolation as measured by standard instruments. The decision-support function was used least often. Postings to ComputerLink's public bulletin board included both information-seeking and supportive messages. These findings are congruent with reports of other community-based interventions for caregivers and consistent with evaluations of computerized decision-support systems.

Aged↗

PubMed2004

Neonatal ventral hippocampus lesion alters the dopamine content in the limbic regions in postpubertal rats.

The neonatal ventral Hippocampus (nVH) lesion in rats has been used as a model to test the hypothesis that early neurodevelopmental abnormalities lead to behavioral changes putatively linked to schizophrenia. The schizophrenic patients tend to social isolation. In addition, considerable evidence from behavioral and neurochemistry studies strongly implicate the dopamine (DA) system and the medial part of the prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in the pathophysiology of the social isolation syndrome. In order to assess effects of the postweaning social isolation (pwSI) on the DA system of the nVH lesions, we investigated the DA content and its metabolite, DOPAC in different limbic subregions in rats postpubertally at postnatal day (P) 78 following nVH lesions at P7 with and without pwSI for 8 weeks. The DA and DOPAC were measured by HPLC with electrochemical detection. The nVH lesion induces increase in the DA content in the hippocampus with no effect in the mPFC, nucleus accumbens and caudate-putamen, while the pwSI induces major increase in the DA content in limbic subregions such as the mPFC, nucleus accumbens and hipocampus with opposite effect in the caudate-putamen. These results suggest that while pwSI has an effect in the postpubertal content of DA in both sham and nVH lesions in rats, the nVH-lesioned rats appear to be affected to a greater extent than the sham animals underscoring the influence of pwSI differences in the development of behaviors in the nVH-lesioned animals.

3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid↗

PubMed2007

Health and motivation of elderly relocating to a suburban area in Japan.

In Japan, few studies have investigated the effects of moving residence among the elderly, despite the fact that Japanese elderly will be increasingly required to switch residence in the future. Here, we used representative sampling to examine the characteristics of elderly persons who had moved residence to a Tokyo suburb and compared results with those of non-moving residents of the suburb. Movers aged 65 years old or older who had relocated within the previous 2 years (movers) and residents aged 65 years old or older and had lived in the area longer than 5 years (non-movers) were surveyed by mail in 2004, with a focus on health and psychosocial measures. Compared with non-movers (N=117), movers (N=97) were more depressed, socially isolated, and fulfilled less active social roles among family members. The majority of movers had moved to find affordable housing or to live with or near family. Two factors preceded co-residence with family, namely retirement and imminent loss of functional independence. Our findings suggest that movers require community support to prevent social isolation, dependency and health declines.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2003

"Stress" and coronary heart disease: psychosocial risk factors.

An Expert Working Group of the National Heart Foundation of Australia undertook a review of systematic reviews of the evidence relating to major psychosocial risk factors to assess whether there are independent associations between any of the factors and the development and progression of coronary heart disease (CHD), or the occurrence of acute cardiac events. The expert group concluded that (i) there is strong and consistent evidence of an independent causal association between depression, social isolation and lack of quality social support and the causes and prognosis of CHD; and (ii) there is no strong or consistent evidence for a causal association between chronic life events, work-related stressors (job control, demands and strain), Type A behaviour patterns, hostility, anxiety disorders or panic disorders and CHD. The increased risk contributed by these psychosocial factors is of similar order to the more conventional CHD risk factors such as smoking, dyslipidaemia and hypertension. The identified psychosocial risk factors should be taken into account during individual CHD risk assessment and management, and have implications for public health policy and research.

Anxiety Disorders↗

PubMed2006

Social contacts and their relationship to loneliness among aged people - a population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Emotional loneliness and social isolation are major problems in old age. These concepts are interrelated and often used interchangeably, but few studies have investigated them simultaneously thus trying to clarify their relationship. OBJECTIVES: To describe the prevalence of loneliness among aged Finns and to study the relationship of loneliness with the frequency of social contacts, with older people's expectations and satisfaction of their human relationships. Especially, we wanted to clarify whether emotional loneliness is a separate concept from social isolation. METHODS: The data were collected with a postal questionnaire. Background information, feelings of loneliness, number of friends, frequency of contacts with children, grandchildren and friends, the expectations of frequency of contacts as well as satisfaction of the contacts were inquired. The questionnaire was sent to a random sample of 6,786 aged people (>74 years) in various urban and rural areas in Finland. We report here the results of community-dwelling respondents (n = 4,113). MAIN RESULTS: More than one third of the respondents (39.4%) suffered from loneliness. Feeling of loneliness was not associated with the frequency of contacts with children and friends but rather with expectations and satisfaction of these contacts. The most powerful predictors of loneliness were living alone, depression, experienced poor understanding by the nearest, and unfulfilled expectations of contacts with friends. CONCLUSION: Our findings support the view that emotional loneliness is a separate concept from social isolation. This has implications for practice. Interventions aiming at relieving loneliness should be focused on enabling an individual to reflect her own expectations and inner feelings of loneliness.

Aged↗

PubMed2005

Isolation stress during the third postnatal week alters radial arm maze performance and corticosterone levels in adulthood.

Stressful experiences during development cause long-lasting changes in neuroendocrine systems as well as lasting changes in behavior. The present study examines the long-term consequences of daily periods of social isolation during the third postnatal week on radial arm maze performance in adulthood. Male rat pups were either isolated for 6 h per day between postnatal days 15-21 or remained in the home cage. This manipulation caused a significant increase in plasma corticosterone during the isolation period. As adults, these animals were tested on a 12-arm radial arm maze. Rats that experienced social isolation during development made more working memory errors during initial acquisition but reached an asymptotic level of performance comparable to controls. The pattern of reference memory errors across testing was comparable to the pattern of working memory errors, though the difference between isolated and control animals was not significant. Blood samples taken in adulthood revealed that social isolation during development results in an long-term elevation in plasma corticosterone levels. These findings indicate that isolation stress during the third week of life leads to lasting impairments in cognition and HPA axis activity and suggest a potential alteration in hippocampal function.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[The effects of dopaminergic agents on the self-stimulation of the lateral hypothalamus and on dopamine metabolism in the brain of isolated rats with a disrupted ventral tegmental area].

Male Wistar rats were socially isolated from the 17th day of birth. Ventral tegmental area (VTA) of a half of the 17th-day rats was unilaterally damaged with intrastructural administration of kainic acid. In adult rats (both raised in groups and in isolation) amphetamine (1 mg/kg) facilitated self-stimulation of the lateral hypothalamus (by 37%). Social isolation increased the sensitivity of dopaminergic system only in rats with VTA lesions which was manifested in promoting self-stimulation after administration of amphetamine, though the level and turnover of tegmental dopamine was decreased. 6-Hydroxydopamine (75 mcg intracisternally), a catecholaminergic neurotoxin, significantly inhibited self-stimulation in isolated rats and decreased catecholamine levels in the lateral hypothalamus. The neurotoxic effect of 6-hydroxydopamine was abolished by amphetamine, probably, owing to enhancement of the functional activity of parabiotically living neuronal structures of the mesocorticolimbic dopaminergic system of the brain.

Amphetamine↗

PubMed1976

Teaching social skills to isolated children.

The effects of a social skill training program on socially isolated children are reported. The training program was derived from the results of a previous study of the specific social skills that discriminated popular from unpopular children. Training effects in the present investigation were assessed on sociometric position, and on the quality, frequency, and distribution of social interaction to peers. Time-series analyses were performed on the frequency and distribution of peer interaction. Two isolated children received social skill training with an adult coach, and two isolated children spent an equivalent amount of time with an adult. Results indicated that socially isolated children in the treatment group changed significantly in sociometric position on a follow-up assessment 9 weeks after the end of the intervention, did not change in the total frequency of peer social interaction, but did redistribute their interaction to peers. The two isolated children who did not receive the treatment program did not change significantly on the total frequency of peer interaction, and tended to withdraw from peers rather than redistribute their interaction. The insensitivity of total peer interaction frequency as a measure of outcome was discussed.

Behavior Therapy↗

PubMed2001

In adolescence, female rats are more sensitive to the anxiolytic effect of nicotine than are male rats.

Anxiety may play an important role in the onset of smoking, particularly in young girls. This study examined whether there were sex differences in the effects of nicotine on anxiety in adolescent rats and whether social isolation modified these effects. Male and female adolescent rats were housed in groups of the same sex or in social isolation for seven days prior to testing in the social interaction test of anxiety. Nicotine increased social interaction in both males and females, and because there was no concomitant change in locomotor activity, this indicated anxiolytic effects. However, there was a 5-fold sex difference in the lowest dose required to enhance social interaction, with an anxiolytic effect in females at 0.05 mg/kg, but in males only at 0.25mg/kg. Furthermore, in males the anxiolytic effect was seen only in socially isolated animals, whereas in the females it was present in both housing conditions. The depressant effect of nicotine on locomotor activity also depended on both the sex of the animal and on their housing conditions, with greater effects in singly housed animals and in males. This sex difference in sensitivity to nicotine's anxiolytic effects suggests there may be sex differences in the factors initiating and maintaining teenage smoking.

Aging↗

PubMed1984

Psychosocial influences on mortality after myocardial infarction.

Psychosocial interviews with 2320 male survivors of acute myocardial infarction, participants in the beta-Blocker Heart Attack Trial, permitted the definition of two variables strongly associated with an increased three-year mortality risk. With other important prognostic factors controlled for, the patients classified as being socially isolated and having a high degree of life stress had more than four times the risk of death of the men with low levels of both stress and isolation. An inverse association of education with mortality in this population reflected the gradient in the prevalence of the defined psychosocial characteristics. High levels of stress and social isolation were most prevalent among the least-educated men and least prevalent among the best-educated. The increase in risk associated with stress and social isolation applied both to total deaths and to sudden cardiac deaths and was noted among men with both high and low levels of ventricular ectopy during hospitalization for the acute infarction.

Adult↗

PubMed1975

Increasing isolate and social play in severely disturbed children: intervention and postintervention effectiveness.

A group treatment procedure was instituted in Study 1 to increase the isolate and social play of 4 severely disturbed children. The results indicated that play behavior could be increased significantly by the use of food and social reinforcement and by the use of passive shaping, but that it quickly declined when the intervention was terminated. Social play, however, did remain above baseline levels during extinction. Study 2 replicated the results of Study 1 with a second group of older children, also severely disturbed. However, the procedure of fading adult intervention proved an effective method for increasing the resistance of social play to extinction relative to Study 1. A PROCEDURE OF CONtinuous and multiple-observer reliability assessment was employed for both studies, and the positive results and the methodological implications of the procedure are discussed.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2003

Health status and participation in a range of activities in an Australian community.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of the research was to determine the relationship between levels of participation in a community and self-assessed health status of people in a rural and regional setting. METHOD: A cross-sectional design, using a mailed, self-administered questionnaire was used. Questionnaires were mailed to a random sample of people aged 18 years and over who were registered on the electoral roll of a regional city and rural area, the Barwon and Otway regions of Victoria, Australia. The sample consisted of 1752 participants: 990 females (57%), 739 males (42%) and 23 sex undisclosed (1%). The range of participants was 18-98 years, and the mean age was 50.53 years (SD = 17.19). RESULTS: Self-assessed physical and mental health were measured using the SF-12 scale. Participants with low incomes, and those with low self-assessed physical and mental health scores, were significantly more likely than other participants to agree with one or more of the social isolation items, indicating that they experienced some social isolation. Low levels of participation in social, sports, leisure or support activities were associated with low self-assessed physical and mental health. Disengagement with the local community was associated with low levels of self-assessed mental health. While younger people were more likely than older people to participate in social, sports, leisure or support activities, they were less involved as members of their community. Females were more likely than males to have been involved in five or more sports, leisure or support activities. Participation in civic activities was associated with high income. Levels of participation in the four different types of activities were combined (social activities, sport, leisure or support activities, community and group activities, and civic activities). Participants classified as low participators were more likely to be older participants, to have a low income and to have low scores for both physical and mental health. CONCLUSION: An association was found between health and community participation in a range of activities, and between health and engagement with the community in this rural and regional population. These findings are consistent with those reported from similar research with a metropolitan population sample. The current research suggests that the groups of people of most concern in terms of low participation rates, are people who have low incomes, people aged over 65 years, people who may be defined as possessing poor physical health and people who may be defined as possessing poor mental health. The relationship between age, community participation and health is complex and needs further exploration because it is not known whether poor health reduces community participation or whether reduced community participation results in poor health. However, current research suggests that developing and implementing strategies to promote people's engagement with and involvement in their local community is one important way of promoting the health of the community as a whole.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1995

Distinct effects of d-amphetamine and phencyclidine on the social behaviour of rats.

d-Amphetamine and phencyclidine (PCP) can induce a model psychosis in humans that resembles schizophrenia. Both drugs reproduce the positive symptoms of schizophrenia, but apparently only PCP mimics the negative symptoms. The purpose of this study was to determine the pharmacological profiles of d-amphetamine and PCP in the social interaction test, and to determine if they have disruptive effects on social behaviour in rats that may be comparable to the social isolation characteristic of negative symptoms. Acute and subchronic (daily for 5 days) administration of d-amphetamine (0.7-22µmol/kg) produced stereotyped behaviour at dosages of 10.4µmol/kg and upwards without any consistent effects on social behaviour. In contrast, acute and subchronic PCP (0.9-29µmol/kg) produced dose-dependent increases in stereotyped behaviour and ataxia as well as dose-dependent reductions in the social behaviour at dosages of 3.6µmol/kg and upwards. Thus, d-amphetamine and PCP had distinct effects on the social behaviour of rats. Both drugs produced stereotyped behaviour and locomotor hyperactivity, but only PCP dose-dependently disrupted social behaviour. This raises the possibility that PCP-induced social isolation in rats corresponds to the social isolation reported in humans under the influence of PCP, and that it can be used as an animal model of negative symptoms.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1994

Social and physical health risk factors for first-onset major depressive disorder in a community sample.

Using prospective data on 3,170 respondents aged 18 years and over who were at risk for a first-onset major depression from the New Haven site of the Epidemiologic Catchment Area (ECA) study, these analyses assessed the effects of social status, physical health status, and social isolation on first-onset depression in a 1-year period, controlling for demographic characteristics and baseline psychiatric factors. Among the assessed potential risk factors, poverty status [odds ratio (OR = 2.034, P < 0.05)] and confinement to a bed or chair (OR = 4.015, P < 0.05) were independently associated with an increased risk for a first-onset depressive episode when controlling for gender, age, past history of substance abuse, and subclinical depressive symptoms. The effects of poverty, and to a lesser degree homebound status, were substantially reduced when controlling for degree of isolation from friends and family, suggesting that social isolation mediates some of the relationships between social and physical statuses and major depression.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1985

Prenatal stress and prepuberal social rearing conditions interact to determine sexual behavior in male rats.

The two major categories of factors known to influence adult sexual behavior potentials are the relative amounts of androgen present during specific stages of perinatal ontogeny and adequate social stimulation during prepuberal development. The possible interaction between these two was evaluated by characterizing the ejaculatory and lordotic behavior potentials of prenatally stressed and control male rats that had been weaned at 16 days of age and raised either in total social isolation or with a same-age female, a control male, or a prenatally stressed male. The decrement in male sexual behavior produced by prenatal stress was attenuated by raising the male with either a female or a control male. Social isolation alone or in combination with stress resulted in severely deficient male behavior. Peripheral skin shock promoted ejaculatory behavior in many previously noncopulating prenatally stressed males raised with other stressed males, but it was ineffective in most isolated animals. The high lordosis potential characteristic of prenatally stressed male rats was slightly lower in the group with a female cagemate and was markedly decreased by social isolation. These results support and extend the finding by Dunlap, Zadina, and Gougis (1978) that prenatal hormonal events and prepuberal rearing conditions can interact to attenuate or accentuate the effects that either treatment alone has on the development of adult sexual behavior potentials.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

Shared psychotic disorder: a critical review of the literature.

OBJECTIVE: To search the literature to reassess the concept of shared psychotic disorder (SPD) using modern nosology and current biopsychosocial formulation. METHOD: Analyzing published case reports from 1942 through to 1993 that meet DSM-IV criteria for SPD according to patient age, sex, nature and duration of the relationship with the "primary", length of exposure to primary's psychosis, family psychiatric history, comorbidity, social isolation of the dyad, presence of hallucinations, delusional type, and the diagnosis of the primary. RESULTS: Findings revealed: 1. males and females were affected with equal frequency; 2. there was equal prevalence in younger and older patients; 3. the majority of shared psychoses (90.2%) were equally distributed among married couples, siblings, and parent-child dyads; 4. comorbid dementia, depression, and mental retardation were common; 5. hallucinations were common; 6. the majority of dyads (67.3%) were socially isolated. CONCLUSIONS: SPD probably occurs in premorbidly disposed individuals in the context of social isolation which is shared with a psychotic person.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Isolation rearing induces recognition memory deficits accompanied by cytoskeletal alterations in rat hippocampus.

Social isolation from weaning affects hippocampal structure and function in the rat. The intrinsic dynamic instability of the cytoskeletal microtubular system is essential for neuronal development and organization. Accordingly, the present paper investigated the effects of social isolation on hippocampal levels of alpha-tubulin isoforms associated with microtubule dynamics, the dendritic marker MAP-2 and alterations in locomotor activity and recognition memory. Male Lister Hooded rats (postnatal day 25-28) were housed either in groups or singly (isolated animals) for 30 days. Locomotor activity in a novel arena and novel object recognition were monitored in activity boxes. The hippocampus was dissected out 18 h after the novel object recognition task. Levels of alpha-tubulin isoforms and MAP-2 were analysed using Western blots. The experiments were conducted in duplicate, using two batches of rats obtained from different suppliers. Isolated animals were hyperactive and showed recognition memory deficits in the novel object recognition task. These behavioural alterations were accompanied by specific alterations in hippocampal alpha-tubulin isoforms and decreased MAP-2 expression. The results confirm that rearing rats in isolation produces hyperactivity and cognitive deficits. The behavioural alterations were accompanied by hippocampal cytoskeletal changes consistent with microtubule stabilization, and by decreased MAP-2 expression. These findings are indicative of an abnormal development of synaptic connections and/or reductions in neuronal cell number. The developmental structural abnormalities in the hippocampus may contribute to the cognitive impairments which result from isolation rearing in rats.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed2003

Perceived barriers to social support from family and friends among older adults with HIV/AIDS.

Research has found that HIV-infected adults age 50 and older are more socially isolated than younger HIV-infected individuals. This study examines the perceived barriers to obtaining emotional and practical social support from friends and family among 63 older adults (age 50+) living with HIV/AIDS. Many reported they did not receive enough emotional support (42%) or practical assistance (27%). Barriers to obtaining support included: (1) nondisclosure of HIV status; (2) others' fear of HIV/AIDS; (3) desire to be self-reliant and independent; (4) not wanting to be a burden; (5) unavailability of family; (6) death of friends to AIDS; and (7) ageism. These barriers may explain the greater social isolation of HIV-infected older adults and inform interventions targeted at reducing these barriers.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗