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 667 records · Page 37Linked to original sources

PubMed1994

Stress-induced changes in immune function are associated with increased production of an interleukin-1-like factor in young domestic fowl.

Investigation of the effects of stress on the immune system in young developing animals is hampered by many variables such as maternal interactions and physical size of immune organs. Young, precocial domestic fowl were used to overcome these difficulties. Domestic fowl, 14 days posthatch, served as an animal model to investigate the effects of stress (acute social isolation) on a rapidly developing immune system. Group-housed animals were isolated for 30, 60, or 90 min and assayed for numerative and functional changes in immune parameters in spleen and blood. The socially isolated birds showed an increase in body temperature, indicative of stress. The number of leukocytes/ml of blood increased in a time-dependent fashion, but the number of leukocytes in the spleen did not. The stress of isolation resulted in a significant increase in B-lymphocyte mitogen proliferation at 30 min, which decreased with time. Social stress also induced a time-dependent decrease in T-lymphocyte mitogen proliferation, which was significant by 90 min. Associated with changes in mitogen responsiveness was a significant increase in the production of an IL-1-like factor by splenic adherent cells from animals isolated for 30 min, which decreased in a time-dependent manner to return to baseline by 90 min. Thus, young domestic fowl represent a practical model for the examination of the effects of stress on immune function in a developing animal.

Animals↗

PubMed1984

Preoperative differential housing and dorsal hippocampal lesions in rats.

Rats housed in impoverished environments often show greater behavioral deficits after receiving brain lesions than to rats housed in standard or enriched environments. However, the resemblance between the effects of social isolation and those of hippocampal lesions in rats prompted the suggestion that rats socially isolated at weaning rather than grouped counterparts may show less behavioral change after sustaining dorsal hippocampal lesions when adult. In socially reared rats, hippocampal lesions produced increased ambulation and object contact in an open field, reduced passive avoidance in a runway task, and produced faster acquisition of active avoidance in a shuttle box, but there were no such differences in isolation-reared rats. Ambulation and object contact in isolates were intermediate to those of rats with lesions and intact group-housed rats, and the behavior of isolates during passive and active avoidance training was generally similar to that of grouped rats with lesions. The introduction of a distractor during approach training in an alley reduced running speeds more in rats with lesions than in controls. The several significant interactions between housing state and lesion state suggest that neural pathways associated with the hippocampal formation may mediate some behavioral effects of differential housing.

Animals↗

PubMed1982

gamma-Aminobutyric acid in brain areas of isolated aggressive or non-aggressive inbred strains of mice.

In order to investigate the effects of social isolation on aggressive behavior and GABA levels in different brain areas, inbred mice of the C57 Bl/6 and the DBA/2 strains were housed individually over a period of 8 weeks. Social isolation induced a clear increase of aggressive responses only in the DBA/2 strain and a decrease of GABA levels in septum, striatum, olfactory bulb and posterior colliculus in both the C57Bl/6 and in the DBA/2 strains. An increase of neurotransmitter concentration was observed in amygdala of DBA mice. DBA mice when compared to C57 mice showed significantly lower levels of GABA in olfactory bulb and striatum. These results are discussed in light of several previous studies which have pointed out a correlation between a deficiency of GABA mediated inhibition in some brain areas and different kinds of aggressive behavior as well as the possibility of a blockade of aggressive behavior by potentiation of GABAergic mediated inhibition. A possible suggestion emerging from our results is that the aggressive responses exhibited by isolated DBA mice but not by isolated C57 mice may be related to lower levels of the inhibitory neurotransmitter in the olfactory bulb and striatum.

Aggression↗

PubMed1998

The influence of postweaning housing conditions on drug-induced conditioned taste aversion.

Postweaning social isolation can influence the sensitivity of rats to several effects of drugs of abuse. The present study investigated the influence of postweaning housing conditions on the sensitivity of rats to the aversive effects of a number of psychoactive agents using a conditioned taste aversion (CTA) test procedure. Development of a CTA was assessed by pairing administration of the drug with the consumption of a 0.05% (weight/volume) saccharin solution in water-deprived (18 h) rats in a 20 min drinking period. Saccharin consumption was then measured in 20 min test sessions over the next 4 consecutive days. Consumption of saccharin solution was significantly reduced in both isolated and enriched rats following administration of d-amphetamine (2 mg/kg), cocaine (30 mg/kg), morphine (10 mg/kg), nicotine (1.0 mg/kg), caffeine (20 mg/kg), alcohol (1.5 g/kg), and LiCl (0.15 M, 4 ml/kg). There was no significant effect of housing conditions on the CTA induced by cocaine, nicotine, alcohol, or LiCl; however, isolation-reared rats were found to be less sensitive to the aversive effects of d-amphetamine, morphine, and caffeine in this paradigm. These results suggest that rearing rats in social isolation induces an attenuation in sensitivity to the aversive effects of some psychoactive agents.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

Increased responsiveness of dopamine to atypical, but not typical antipsychotics in the medial prefrontal cortex of rats reared in isolation.

Dopaminergic hypofunction in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) has been associated with the aetiology of negative symptoms and cognitive dysfunction of schizophrenia, which are both alleviated by clozapine and other atypical antipsychotics such as olanzapine. In rodents, early life exposure to stressful experiences such as social isolation produces a spectrum of symptoms emerging in adult life, which can be restored by antipsychotic drugs. The present series of experiments sought to investigate the effect of clozapine (5-10 mg/kg s.c.), olanzapine (5 mg/kg s.c.), and haloperidol (0.5 mg/kg s.c.) on dopamine (DA) and amino acids in the prelimbic/infralimbic subregion of the mPFC in group- and isolation-reared rats. Rats reared in isolation showed significant and robust deficits in prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle. In group-reared animals, both clozapine and olanzapine produced a significant increase in DA outflow in the mPFC. Isolation-reared rats showed a significant increase in responsiveness to both atypical antipsychotics compared with group-reared animals. In contrast, the administration of haloperidol failed to modify dialysate DA levels in mPFC in either group- or isolation-reared animals. The results also show a positive relationship between the potency of the tested antipsychotics to increase the release of DA in the mPFC and their respective affinities for 5-HT1A relative to DA D2 or D3 receptors. Finally, isolation-reared rats showed enhanced neurochemical responses to the highest dose of clozapine as indexed by alanine, aspartate, GABA, glutamine, glutamate, histidine, and tyrosine. The increased DA responsiveness to the atypical antipsychotic drugs clozapine and olanzapine may explain, at least in part, clozapine- and olanzapine-induced reversal of some of the major behavioral components of the social isolation syndrome, namely hyperactivity and attention deficit.

Amino Acids↗

PubMed1975

[Significance of different social factors active in the course of ontogenesis, for the effectiveness of chronic stress influences upon cerebro-visceral regulation processes of albino rats].

Fifty male albino rats were used to study how social factors (animals kept in large groups with playing-cage character, or in social isolation by solitary maintenance) are reflected in the responsiveness of cerebro-visceral regulation processes to chronic stress exposure. The following results were obtained: Animals kept from the 12.-30. week of life in social companionship and, additionally, exposed to chronic stress influences, proved to be greatly resistant to permanent load. This effect is referred to the rich supply of social afferentations and to the pronounced stimulation of proprioreceptive reafference as a result of social communication and motor activity. Animals kept, after preceding large-group maintenance, in social isolation from the 17.-30. week and simultaneously being exposed to the same stress influence as the animals in the playing cage, showed symptoms of an early stage of neurotically induced, arterial hypertension. Here, the chronic lack of socially determined, adequate environmental afferentation and of proprioreceptive reafference, as was typical of solitary maintenance, proved to be a factor enhancing the pathological predisposition of the organism under extreme environmental conditions.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

PubMed2005

Psychosocial Experiences of East and Southeast Asian men who use gay Internet chatrooms in Toronto: an implication for HIV/AIDS prevention.

OBJECTIVES: In recent years we have witnessed an increase in Asian men who use gay Internet chatrooms in Toronto. Previous research has shown that many men who had sex with men (MSM) sought sex partners through the Internet and that meeting sex partners via the Internet increases sexually transmitted infection (STI) and HIV risk. This study aims to (1) explore psychosocial issues relating to Asian men who use gay chatrooms and (2) identify culturally appropriate HIV prevention strategies for this population. DESIGN: In-depth interviews were conducted with a total of 21 East and Southeast Asian men who used Internet gay chatrooms. Unstructured, open-ended questions were used to obtain narrative data to help understand their lived, psychosocial experiences of gay chatrooms. Transcripts of the interviews were read to highlight themes and concepts. RESULTS: Analysis revealed complex lived, psychosocial experiences of Asian men who use gay chatrooms in Toronto. They tended to be socially isolated and highly marginalized, which had led to intense needs for social connections and thus left some Asian men vulnerable to sexual exploitation. Although they were fully aware that they should use condoms in anal intercourse with a casual partner, they had some misconceptions about HIV. Moreover, they rarely, if ever, used condoms in oral sex with a casual partner, which might leave them vulnerable to STI. CONCLUSIONS: It is important for service providers to continually provide accurate information about STIs and HIV/AIDS including how they can be contracted. However, HIV prevention strategies for this population must also address issues relating to social isolation and marginalization in order to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS effectively. This can be accomplished by an online peer support program.

Asia, Southeastern↗

PubMed2001

Masterworks of art and chronic illness experiences in the elderly.

AIM: This article presents findings of a qualitative study, conducted between 1997 and 2000, to investigate the plausibility of integrating masterworks of art with care of the chronically ill elderly, and to analyse perceptions about chronic illness among three groups: registered nurses, nursing students, and the elderly. BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE: Statistically the incidence of chronic illness increases in the elderly. Although pathophysiology of chronic illness is increasingly understood, few studies explore the experience of living with chronicity from the perspective of the elderly. Understanding and intervening appropriately for the elderly with chronic illness may contribute significantly to improving quality of life for this growing population. ETHICAL ISSUES AND APPROVAL: The study was approved through an Institutional Review Board. Facility permission and participant informed consent were obtained. Anonymity and confidentiality were protected. DESIGN: Using hermeneutic phenomenology and masterworks of art as a centre point for dialogue, the investigators explored the perceptions of nurses, students, and the elderly about living with a chronic illness. A purposive sample of 65 participants made up seven focus groups with which group interviews were conducted. Themes were explicated and analysed from audiotaped interviews until data saturation was reached. FINDINGS: Content analysis of focus group interviews revealed themes of social isolation, inevitable role change, and inertia-movement. Only the elderly acknowledged hope and a steadfast refusal to give up, while nurses and students viewed chronicity more negatively. Themes of social isolation and role change are consistent with other studies of the elderly. A paradox of inertia-movement in the chronically ill elderly has not been reported in the nursing literature. CONCLUSIONS: Paradoxical tension of inertia-movement in the chronically ill elderly appears to be linked to the broader concept of energy in nursing science, and to Parse's theory of human becoming. Masterworks of art can generate energy exchange between the elderly and caregivers, providing a plausible catalyst for meaningful interventions that transcend age and practice settings.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Life situation of parents of twins and triplets: a qualitative study].

BACKGROUND: Starting in the middle of the 1980s, an increasing incidence of multiple pregnancies in Germany has been reported, with assisted reproduction mainly contributing to this increase. In the management of multiple pregnancies, the main focus is on optimising the obstetric care. The difficult socio-economic and psychosocial situation of parents of multiples, however, is often underestimated. METHODS: The present study examines the life situation of parents of twins and triplets using focus groups as a qualitative research method. Nineteen mothers and fathers of twins and triplets were interviewed in four focus groups. Main topics were the parental reaction to the diagnosis of multiple pregnancy, the first time at home with the multiples, special situations and wishes and ideas for a better care during multiple pregnancy. RESULTS: The diagnosis of multiple pregnancy was made at early gestational age, with the parental reactions being described between "happiness" and "shock". With this diagnosis, however, the future parents feel alone. Caring for the babies is leading to the limits of parent's ability to take stress. Marital problems and social isolation are discussed controversially. Exceptional situations such as illness of the mother require fast and un-bureaucratic solutions. CONCLUSIONS: The interviews suggest that special problems of multiple parenthood such as social isolation, marital and psychic problems are not necessarily related to higher order multiples or handicapped children. It appears to be essential to offer a more individual care for women expecting multiples, whereas the main resource for improving care is in providing contact and information possibilities.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2001

Prognostic factors in major depression: a long-term follow-up study of 323 patients.

BACKGROUND: Optimal long-term treatment of major depression should assess the background factors affecting remission and recurrent episodes. The duration and number of previous depressive episodes has been shown to be important for recurrence. This long-term prospective study of patients with major depression assessed the prognostic effect of variables related to childhood, social life and occupation. METHODS: The study examined 323 patients in two follow-up examinations 12-25 years from the initial examination to the second follow-up. Stepwise logistic regression was used to evaluate the prognostic effect for depression at the second follow-up. RESULTS: The risk of depression at the second follow-up was associated with several psychosocial factors in childhood, female gender, social isolation and a negative attitude towards one's own occupation. LIMITATIONS: The patient group was selected from the practice of only one psychiatrist. CONCLUSIONS: Several psychosocial factors in childhood, female gender, social isolation and a negative attitude towards one's own occupation have previously been shown to be associated with the risk of depression. The results in this study suggest that these factors are also important in predicting the outcome of a major depressive episode and the risk of recurrent episodes.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1980

Using Angels and Devils: a board game developed for play in nursing homes.

The incidence of perceptual deprivation and social isolation effects, possible correlates of such effects, and the potential for remediation of effects was studied for thirty-two nursing home residents through playing a discussion-stimulating board game called Angels and Devils. Results indicate a high incidence of sensory deprivation and social isolation effects in the population, as measured by resident response to questionnaire items. These do not correlate with length of institutionalization, amount of social contact, or degree of medical restriction, and may be reduced by stimulating resident-staff discussion. Findings are interpreted as indicating the need for more research in application of board games to ameliorate negative effects emerging in institutional environments.

Communication↗

PubMed1996

The effect of social experience on serotonergic modulation of the escape circuit of crayfish.

The neuromodulator serotonin has widespread effects in the nervous systems of many animals, often influencing aggression and dominance status. In crayfish, the effect of serotonin on the neural circuit for tailflip escape behavior was found to depend on the animal's social experience. Serotonin reversibly enhanced the response to sensory stimuli of the lateral giant (LG) tailflip command neuron in socially dominant crayfish, reversibly inhibited it in subordinate animals, and persistently enhanced it in socially isolated crayfish. Serotonin receptor agonists had opposing effects: A vertebrate serotonin type 1 receptor agonist inhibited the LG neurons in dominant and subordinate crayfish and had no effect in isolates, whereas a vertebrate serotonin type 2 receptor agonist enhanced the LG neurons' responses in all three types of crayfish. The LG neurons appear to have at least two populations of serotonin receptors that differ in efficacy in dominant, subordinate, and socially isolate crayfish.

Animals↗

PubMed1982

Social activation of the elderly. A social experiment.

Social isolation and understimulation are considered to be major problems among institutionalized aged. This article describes an 'activation' program for elderly people living in a senior citizen apartment building. The intention of the research team was to devise a program together with the elderly and the staff, the goals being to increase social activation and self-dependence among the elderly. The program devised was implemented within the apartment's existing financial framework, involving no additional costs, overtime work or external resources. The program was designed in such a way as to allow for measurement of social activation in both the experimental and control groups. This report focuses primarily on the problems which arose in the personnel group in conjunction with the program. Evaluation of these problems was carried out by means of tape-recorded personnel meetings. This paper presents the analysis of these recordings. It was of major importance to the program that any organizational changes be enacted only on the initiative of the elderly and the staff themselves. The results show that it is possible, with relatively simple and inexpensive methods, to stimulate the elderly's interests and counteract social isolation and understimulation.

Aged↗

PubMed2002

Effects of depression and social integration on the relationship between alcohol consumption and all-cause mortality.

AIMS: This study was designed to assess the potentially confounding influences of social integration and depression on the form of the relationship between alcohol consumption and all-cause mortality. DESIGN, PARTICIPANTS AND MEASUREMENT: Respondents from the 1984 US National Alcohol Survey (N = 5177) were followed by searching the National Death Index (NDI) through 1995; 540 were identified as deceased. Predictor variables in a Cox proportional hazards model included gender, ethnicity, marital status, income, smoking, age and alcohol consumption (volume and patterns). Two social variables and their interactions with alcohol consumption were added, the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) scale and an eight-item social isolation scale. FINDINGS: The J-shaped risk curve for all-cause mortality by volume was approximated for men but not significantly for women. In addition heavy drinking occasions independently contributed to mortality in men. Low social integration (bottom 12%) had no significant effects on mortality or on the relationship between alcohol consumption and mortality curve. Inclusion of the interaction between alcohol consumption and depression proved significant for heavy male drinkers (> six drinks on average per day) and for female former drinkers with heavy drinking occasions. In both cases, the respective subgroup, which additionally was depressed, had about four times the risk of a life-time abstainer. CONCLUSIONS: The relationship of alcohol consumption to 11-year all-cause mortality in a general population indicated little confounding effect of social isolation, but revealed important interactions with depression for heavy male drinkers and heavy female ex-drinkers.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1971

Social recovery by isolation-reared monkeys.

Total social isolation of macaque monkeys for at least the first 6 months of life consistently produces severe deficits in virtually every aspect of social behavior. Experiments designed to rehabilitate monkeys reared in isolation are described. While young isolates exposed to equal-age normal peers achieved only limited recovery of simple social responses, some mothers reared in isolation eventually exhibited acceptable maternal behavior when forced to accept infant contact over a period of months, but showed no further recovery; isolate infants exposed to surrogates were able to develop crude interactive patterns among themselves. In contrast to the above results, 6-month-old social isolates exposed to 3-month-old normal monkeys achieved essentially complete social recovery for all situations tested. It is postulated that social stimulation that both permits subjects to achieve contact acceptability and provides an interactive medium conducive to gradual development of sophisticated social behaviors will result in almost complete recovery of social capabilities previously obliterated by rearing in isolation.

Age Factors↗

PubMed1993

A typology of care episodes experienced by people with schizophrenia in an English town.

The paper presents an analysis of the psychiatric care histories of people diagnosed with schizophrenia which is set within the policy context of the deinstitutionalisation debate. The durations of successive terms of in-patient and community care were drawn from the records of the Salford Psychiatric Case Register and related to the age, gender and social isolation of each patient. Strong age-sex interactions are revealed by the tendencies for young male patients to exhibit rapid hospital readmission and discharge rates and elderly female patients to experience long terms of in-patient care. The role of social isolation in relation to these care durations turns out to be more restricted.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A comparative study of outcome in myositis and other musculoskeletal disorders assessed using the Nottingham health profile.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the comparative impact of myositis and other musculoskeletal disorders on general health using the Nottingham health profile (NHP) as a generic measure of health status. METHODS: A prospective observational study of 113 females with myositis, 142 females with rheumatoid arthritis, 45 females with spinal osteoporosis and 96 females with knee osteoarthritis. RESULTS: All mean NHP section scores were higher in myositis and other musculoskeletal disorders compared to population mean values. Section scores for energy and social isolation were high in myositis compared to all other disorders. Scores for physical disability in myositis were similar to RA. Pain scores were higher in RA and OA compared to myositis. Backwards linear regression models explained 26-42% of the variation in energy and social isolation scores. Emotion and physical section scores were the major determinants and the pattern was similar in all disorders. Disease duration and age had little effect. CONCLUSIONS: Myositis is not simply a disease with physical problems but has wide ranging effects on social and emotional well being. Until disease-specific instruments are available, a generic measure like the NHP can be used to assess problems other than muscle pain and loss of strength.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1992

Assessment of sensitivity to interpersonal stress in stutterers.

The Willoughby Personality Schedule-R was administered to adult male Yugoslav stutterers who were not yet in treatment. Internal consistency of the WPS-R was assessed by computing item-scale score correlations. Twenty-two of 25 items were significantly correlated with WPS-R total score. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed three separate and reliable dimensions: Social Isolation (ssca .85), Social Confidence (ssca .74), and Social Sensitivity (ssca = .62), that were identical to those previously found for American stutterers. Although WPS-R scores were unrelated to several measures of stuttering severity, analysis of extreme scores suggested support for the hypothesis that general anxiety moderates stuttering severity. Overall the results are consistent with the contention that hypersensitivity to interpersonal stress is manifested in stutterers as general anxiety, which is better conceptualized as occurring along a continuum than as reflecting generic "overwhelming anxiety" in stutterers.

Adult↗