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Results for “SOCIAL ISOLATION”

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PubMed2006

[Health and migration. Psychosocial determinants].

The article provides an overview of the contemporary literature on the social and psychological factors which are associated with migration. Derived from the operationalisation of "migration" and an examination of the methodological peculiarities of migration research, a (transactional) stress model of migration is proposed incorporating potentially stress-eliciting influences of migration including occupational pressures, social isolation and/or family-related problems and their impact on psychological and physical health. There are inconsistencies in the findings regarding psychological health, which can in part be explained through the phenomena of the "healthy migrant effect", duration of stay in the host culture or the culture-specificity. Moreover, a discussion is provided of the extent that disorders associated with differentially stressed migrants will be manifested in the health care system. Finally, concluding remarks are offered together with a short discussion of the implication of these findings for future research and social and health policy decision-making.

Acculturation↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Effect of peptides introduced into the central nucleus of amygdala on the hypothalamic self-stimulation in chronically alcoholized rats].

The reinforcing properties of neuropeptides (substance P, corticoliberin, leu-enkephalin, alaptide) and 70 kDa heat shock protein (HSP) administered into the extended amygdala were studied on the hypothalamic self-stimulation model in rats reared in community or social isolation since the 17th day after birth. Since that time (17th day) half of rats were given 5 - 15 % ethanol solution instead of water (semiforced alcoholization). In the age of 90 - 100 days, all rats were implanted electrodes into lateral hypothalamus and cannulas into the central nucleus of amygdala. In the group of alcohol-dependent rats, the alcohol administration was continued. In rats reared in community, corticoliberin, leu-enkephalin and substance P increased the reinforcing properties of self-stimulation in dose-dependent manner, but alaptide and HSP decreased self-stimulation moderately. In rats reared in social isolation, the vector of neuropeptide effects was retained, although the magnitude of the effects was lower. Therefore, the neuropeptides differently participate in the reinforcing mechanisms of hypothalamus. It is suggested that the extended amygdala modulates the reinforcing properties of lateral hypothalamus, probably by means of extrahypothalamic corticoliberin-containing neurons.

Alcoholism↗

PubMed1992

Behavioural and psychosocial sequelae of severe closed head injury and regional cerebral blood flow: a SPECT study.

Thirty six patients (31 male, 5 female) who had suffered severe closed head injury were re-examined at an average of 39.3 (SD 12.8, range 7-66) months after the injury. Behavioural symptoms were measured using the Giessen test. The relatives' reports were used for data analysis to ensure that results were valid. The neurophysical impairment subscale of the Glasgow assessment schedule was completed by two neurologists, and the number connection test was completed by each patient. The adjective mood scale was completed by each relative. All patients were investigated by single photon emission computerised tomography (SPECT). Exploratory factor analysis using the principal components method was carried out separately for SPECT results and psychological measures and correlations were sought between the resulting factors. Factor analysis of the data from the Giessen test identified social isolation, disinhibition, and aggressive behaviour as major components of post-traumatic personality changes; it indicates that these behavioural features are independent of the level of neurological and neuropsychological impairment, which loaded on a single independent factor. Relatives' psychic health seemed to be relatively resistant to physical and cognitive disability and was mainly affected by disinhibitive behaviour. The highest correlation was between frontal flow indices and disinhibitive behaviour (p less than 0.01): the severity of disinhibition increased with lower frontal flow rates. There was a significant but somewhat weaker correlation (p less than 0.05) between flow indices of the left cerebral hemisphere and social isolation. Low flow values of the right brain regions were related to aggressive behaviour (p less than 0.05). Neurological and cognitive impairment correlated negatively with the thalamus; worse neurological and cognitive performance indicate by raised scores on the neurophysical scale and on the number connection test was associated with low thalamic flow values. The results support the importance of lesion location in the production of post traumatic behavioural disorders.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Negative symptoms and psychosocial status in temporal lobe epilepsy.

PURPOSE: To determine the relationship between negative symptoms, psychosocial function and quality of life in temporal lobe epilepsy. METHODS: 23 patients with temporal lobe epilepsy with negative symptoms were matched on gender, age, years of education, duration and age of epilepsy onset with 23 temporal lobe epilepsy patients exhibiting no negative symptoms as determined by a standardized rating system (SANS/SAPS). The matched groups were compared in regard to: (1). employment status, (2). dependence on government financial subsidy, (3). relationship/marital status, and (4). self-reported quality of life. RESULTS: Temporal lobe epilepsy patients with negative symptoms exhibited higher rates of unemployment, dependence on government aid, social isolation, and poorer self-reported quality of life relative to temporal lobe patients without negative symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Interictal negative symptoms are associated with significantly increased psychosocial morbidity and poorer quality of life in temporal lobe epilepsy.

Adult↗

PubMed1993

Predicting treatment retention among cocaine users.

Few studies have addressed treatment retention among cocaine-using samples. The current study develops and tests a model of treatment retention at the individual level, employing data from 110 cocaine users who initiated outpatient treatment. The model includes measures of extent of drug involvement, social isolation and support, motivation, and demographic characteristics. Logistic regression is used to fit a final model, which includes measures of the following: living alone, use of multiple substances prior to treatment, length of cocaine use, and external motivation. Treatment implications and directions for further research are discussed.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Behavioral and neuropsychological phenotype of the 48XXYY syndrome: a longitudinal study of a case].

INTRODUCTION: The 48XXYY syndrome is a clinical condition which has been little studied from the neuropsychological and neuropsychiatric points of view. We have not found any follow-up studies in the literature. The treatment used to date has not been successful. CLINICAL CASE: We made a longitudinal study of a boy with the 48XXYY syndrome. Neuropsychiatric evaluation was done when he was 6, 8, 10 and 12 years old. The course followed, both in conduct (bulimia, anorexia, disinhibition, depression, social isolation and heteroaggressivity) and in neuropsychology (evaluated using WISC-R and the Continuous Performance Test), was of progressive deterioration of sustained attention and also on the subscales of comprehension, arithmetic, similarities, vocabulary and WIS-R keys. On EEG there was hypofrontality and theta-delta activity in the occipito-parieto-temporal regions of both hemispheres. In the brainstem a low voltage IV wave was seen in the OI. The metabolic alterations were: hyperserotoninemia and hyperuricemia. On CAT there were lesions giving increased signals in the occipital horns. Prescription of risperidone at a dose of 2 mg/day led to improved behavior (with less heteroaggressivity and social isolation) and improved neurocognition (arithmetic, similarities and keys) with no modification of EEG activity. CONCLUSIONS: From the neuropsychological and behavior measurements and the clinical data in the bibliography, we suggest (for the first time) that there is a conduct and neuropsychological phenotype corresponding to this syndrome, although confirmation of this will require a larger number of longitudinal studies. Risperidone at a low dosage has been shown to be effective in controlling alterations of conduct and neuropsychology.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1983

A comparison of the attitudes of young anorexia nervosa patients and non-patients with those of their mothers.

Attitudes towards 'sickness', 'arguments', 'tension', 'social isolation', 'thinness', 'growing up' and 'grown up' were investigated in 20 young female anorexia nervosa patients and their mothers, and in 32 volunteer non-patient schoolgirls and their mothers. A computer-generated semantic differential questionnaire was completed by each daughter and her mother, first for herself and then as she thought the other person would have answered it. The majority of significant differences occurred between the anorexic daughters and their mothers as a group, and the non-patient daughters and mothers as a group. The anorexia nervosa group rated 'sickness', 'arguments' and 'tension' more favourably than did the non-patients, while the patients rated 'thinness' and 'social isolation' less favourably than did the non-patient group. Neither group of mothers and daughters consistently misjudged each other.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Prevention of mental health problems: rationale for a universal approach.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Mental health problems are a public health issue affecting as many as 20% of children in modern communities. Risk factors for externalising and internalising problems can occur in infancy. Infants at high risk live in stressed families with parent mental health problems, substance misuse, relationship conflict, social isolation, financial problems or infant temperamental difficulty. Although current prevention programmes target services to high-risk groups, targeting can stigmatise families and miss many children in need. The addition of universal prevention programmes for all families could address these concerns. This survey assessed the prevalence of infants at risk attending a primary care service as a delivery point for universal prevention. DESIGN: Survey of mothers of 6-month-old infants attending well-child clinics across six government areas of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, between August and September 2004. A brief survey measured sociodemographic characteristics and the following family risks: maternal depression, anxiety, stress, substance misuse, violence at home, social isolation and infant temperamental difficulty. RESULTS: The survey was completed by 733 mothers, representing 69% of infant births presented to the primary care service. Of these, 39% of infants were classified as at risk for developing mental health problems. The percentage of infants classified as at risk was not markedly dissimilar across socioeconomic levels (low, 42%; middle, 40%; high, 35%). CONCLUSIONS: A substantial number of infants attending routine universal primary care are at risk of developing mental health problems. This primary care setting could provide an ideal platform for preventing early externalising and internalising problems via a universally offered, evidence-based parenting programme.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1994

The experience of cancer.

The illness career of the person with cancer has been characterized as a 'living-dying' experience in which, faced with the intolerable incompatibility of life and death, the individual and his or her family attempt to maintain control and 'normalize' everyday activity. Unfortunately, in their everyday struggles, families in North America appear to face social isolation from existing community services and networks that might assist them. Perhaps because the illness is so heavily medicalized and stigmatized, most persons with cancer and their families do not participate in them. A minority benefit from self-help organizations such as Cancer Society groups and survivor coalitions. The palliative care and hospice/home care movements provide an alternative to dying in the acute-care hospital, again, for a minority. Half of those with cancer survive more than 5 years; for these persons, the ordeal has just begun. Survivors must cope with physical disabilities due to surgery and the side effects of other treatments, the psychological traumas of fear of recurrence and social stigma, and the disappointment of a considerably reduced range of future possibilities for career and development. The fact that their relationships with others are negatively affected is well documented, particularly with intimate relationships. In a sense, a person never really 'gets over' cancer: it is a sword of Damocles that continues to hang over the individual and his or her family for the rest of the person's life.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1993

The misunderstood caregiver? A qualitative study of the male caregiver of Alzheimer's disease victims.

In-depth interviews with 15 male caregivers from diverse backgrounds caring for their wives with Alzheimer's disease revealed the following common themes: commitment, social isolation, the loss of companionship, control, sense of accomplishment, a problem-solving approach, burden lessening with years of caregiving, and limited expectations of children. A generated typology of male caregivers included four types: the worker, the labor of love, the sense of duty, and at the crossroads.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Complex visual hallucinations in the visually impaired: the Charles Bonnet Syndrome.

Visually impaired patients may experience complex visual hallucinations, a condition known as the Charles Bonnet Syndrome. Patients usually possess insight into the unreality of their visual experiences, which are commonly pleasant but may sometimes cause distress. The hallucinations consist of well-defined, organized, and clear images over which the subject has little control. It is believed that they represent release phenomena due to de-afferentation of the visual association areas of the cerebral cortex, leading to a form of phantom vision. Cognitive defects, social isolation, and sensory deprivation have also been implicated in the etiology of this condition. This condition, which is most common in the elderly, frequently goes unrecognized in clinical practice, due to both lack of awareness among doctors and patients' reluctance to admit to hallucinatory experiences, for fear of being labeled mentally unstable. Furthermore, patients who comprehend the unreality of their hallucinations may be distressed by the real fear of imminent insanity. Sensitive and sympathetic history taking is essential to ascertain the existence of hallucinations. Reassurance and explanation that the visions are benign and do not signify mental illness have a powerful therapeutic effect. Hallucinatory activity may terminate spontaneously, on improving visual function or on addressing social isolation. There is no universally effective drug treatment but anticonvulsants may play a limited role in aborting the hallucinations. Physician awareness and empathy are the cornerstones of management.

Anticonvulsants↗

PubMed1982

Sexual abuse: a sociological perspective.

How have contemporary social changes affected the problem of child sexual abuse? The rapid rise of this problem to public attention in the United States is in part due to the mobilization around the problem by the women's movement and the child welfare movement there. But factors shown by research to be associated with the problem--social isolation and patriarchal authority--are so widespread as to suggest that this is a problem of international proportions, as well. The rising divorce rate in the U.S. and worldwide, would appear to put more children at risk at the same time that it has also made it easier for children and their mothers to escape from the most oppressive and intolerable family situations. The sexual revolution and the erosion of external controls on sexual behavior have also in all likelihood aggravated the problem, too. Sexual abuse needs to be seen as a problem distinct from physical child abuse--characterized by the preponderance of offenders who are males. This suggests searching for the sources of the problem in male sexual socialization rather than in problems of inadequate and disaffected parenting.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Health promotion in motion: improving quality of life for persons with neurogenic bladder and bowel using assistive technology.

The neurogenic bladder and bowel lead to many complications in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Management of these neurological complications is a multidimensional challenge for persons with SCI and their caregivers, and can affect the person medically, economically, socially, and personally. This may result in social isolation, poor self-image, and overall decreased quality of life (QOL). When facing this challenge, nurses working with persons with SCI must expand their practice to include more than traditional preventive care. A newly available technique for promoting health with a neurogenic bladder and bowel is the VOCARE Bladder and Bowel Control System. Sixteen persons with SCI who received this system were interviewed by telephone and asked for their recollections of health and QOL pre-operatively in relation to bladder and bowel care and to rate changes in their QOL post-implant. Post-operatively, the recipients reported improved health, a decrease in costs of management of their neurogenic bladder and bowel, increased independence leading to less social isolation, increased sense of control, increased feelings of self-worth, and overall improvement in QOL. These outcomes illustrate the global impact that can be made on the lives of persons with SCI by health services that go beyond prevention of complications and into the realm of health promotion.

Defecation↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Expectations and experiences of newly recruited Filipino nurses.

This article reports the preliminary results of a small study into the changing expectations of newly migrated Filipino nurses at a London hospital. The aim was to identify initial expectations and experiences. Focus group interviews were conducted with two groups of nurses shortly after their arrival. Career prospects and salaries were key factors influencing the decision to come to the UK. Differences emerged between the nurses' expectations of the nursing role and their actual experience on the wards. Adjusting to the new system of health care proved stressful but was helped by the provision of support services. Factors that may promote successful adaptation and retention included equal opportunities with respect to training and promotion and the use of culturally sensitive orientation programmes. Strategies to reduce social isolation may also be important. The results will be used to inform the trust's retention strategy and will also be of interest to other NHS trusts recruiting Filipino nurses and nurses from other countries.

Acculturation↗

PubMed2005

At home in hospital? Interaction and stigma in people affected by cancer.

Social research conducted in cancer hospitals has tended to focus on interaction between patients and staff, and studies of interaction amongst people with cancer often centre on group therapy and patient-patient support mediated by health professionals. Informal interaction between patients and fellow patients, and their carers/visitors, occurs in cancer hospitals every day but has remained largely unanalysed, particularly in the case of visitors. In this paper, based on data from 71 in-depth interviews, we compare patient and carer perceptions of interacting with fellow patients/visitors in a cancer centre with their perceptions of interacting in the outside world. We apply Erving Goffman's theories on stigma to the data and argue that these theories have both relevance and currency. The outside world can be seen as a 'civil place' where people with cancer often encountered difficulties such as undue admiration, uneasiness, avoidance and lack of tact, whereas the cancer centre appears to have been a 'back place' where, for most patients, stigmatisation was not an issue, and they could 'get on with it' in the company of fellow patients and their visitors. However, some groups of patients experienced social isolation in the hospital or seemed to be assigned to the lower strata of cancer patient society. We conclude that patients who are outside the informal support system in cancer hospitals may have psychosocial difficulties that might be recognised and addressed by healthcare staff, and that patients and their carers might benefit from enhanced support following discharge from hospital.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Psychosocial club members' characteristics and their readiness to participate in a support group.

Among persons with severe mental illness, more than half identify problems with loneliness and social isolation. This study examines the demographic characteristics of 34 psychosocial club members and their readiness to participate in a nurse-facilitated support group as a potential means of increasing affiliation. Readiness is represented by the presence of Stone's postulated deterrents to group participation by persons with severe mental illness--unmet survival needs, crises, disinterest in increasing affiliation, satisfaction with life as is, and unwillingness to share information about themselves and their problems. Relationships between these variables and willingness to join, and later to participate, in a group were examined. Despite impaired social/vocational functioning and high levels of potential deterrents, two-thirds of the participants indicated a willingness to join and one-third actually did participate when groups subsequently were offered. Level of social support was positively correlated with both willingness to join and actual participation. That those scoring low on perceived social support were less willing to join a support group suggests that nurses must actively encourage and facilitate participation.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

African American males at a crossroad.

With the recent debates regarding school drop outs, limited parental support, peer pressure, and social isolation, African American males are at a crossroad. For much too long attention has focused on factors that reflect poor self image and a lower sense of control over their destinies. Options are very limited, and it is important to consider the new public policy response to male responsibility utilizing natural support systems. Mentoring is a key variable to establishing greater community responsibility through primary prevention.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1988

What difference does case management make?

The outcomes of 82 patients in a rehabilitation-oriented case management program six months and two years after they were discharged from an inpatient setting to join the program were compared with those of 82 matched control patients who had been discharged from the same inpatient settings before the case management program was established. At the two-year follow-up, the patients in the case management program were significantly more likely than the control patients to have better occupational functioning, to live in a residence requiring more independence than they did at the six-month follow-up, and to be less socially isolated; in contrast, at the six-month follow-up only their occupational functioning was better than the control group's. The two groups did not differ in number of hospitalizations at either follow-up. The authors believe the study supplies much-needed documentation of the effectiveness of rehabilitation-oriented case management.

Chronic Disease↗