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Results for “SOCIAL ISOLATION”

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PubMed1990

Perceived acceptance and social isolation among recovering homosexual alcoholics.

The purpose of the study was to identify variables which might be associated with perceived acceptance and social isolation among recovering homosexual alcoholics. Participants (N = 126) completed a questionnaire which included the Gay Perceived Acceptance and Social Isolation Scale (PASI). Data were analyzed utilizing stepwise multiple regression. This procedure resulted in the selection of four independent variables which, as a set, accounted for more than 50% of the variation in PASI scores. Three of the four terms related to sexuality. Results indicate that resolution of conflict concerning sexuality could lead to higher PASI scores and may increase the prospects of long-term recovery from alcoholism.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Effects of social isolation on aging-induced orofacial movements in rats.

World population is becoming older, and aging is a common risk factor for a number of pathologies. In this respect, it is important to study possible factors that could modify alterations implicated in the process of aging. The aim of the present study is to verify the effects of social isolation on the expression of orofacial movements in adult and old rats. Adult and old rats were housed isolated for 5 days or kept in their home cages in groups of six. Before and after this period, orofacial movements and open-field general activity were evaluated. Aging-induced orofacial movements were abolished by isolation. On the other hand, isolated adult rats presented an increase in orofacial movements. General activity was decreased by aging but was not modified by isolation. Our results indicate that social isolation produces different effects in adult and old rats, and these effects are specific for orofacial movements and not related to a decrease in general motor activity.

Aging↗

PubMed2005

Social isolation alters the effect of desipramine in the rat forced swimming test.

The present study determined whether rearing in social isolation alters the behavioural response produced by the selective noradrenaline uptake inhibitor, desipramine when rats are exposed to the forced swimming test or an open field arena. Male Wistar rats were raised from weaning either alone (isolation rearing) or in groups of five or six rats/cage (social rearing) for 4 weeks before behavioural testing. The results demonstrated that sub-chronic administration of desipramine (5, 10 and 20 mg/kg i.p.) 24, 5 and 1 h caused a dose-related decrease in immobility time and increase struggling and produced locomotor hypoactivity compared with saline treated rats in both isolation and socially reared rats. However, these effects were significantly greater in isolation than socially reared rats. The results indicate isolation rearing alters the response to aversive stimuli and that sub-chronic antidepressant treatment potentiates these effects.

Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors↗

PubMed2002

Ethical issues involved in the implementation of a differential reinforcement of inappropriate behaviour programme for the treatment of social isolation and ritualistic behaviour in an individual with intellectual disabilities.

The present case study describes an adult male with a 28-year history of institutional care underpinned by a moderate intellectual disability (ID), and ritualistic behaviour congruent with features of autism or obsessive-compulsive disorder. The subject's ID was recognized early in life and he was provided with a special educational placement at 6 years of age, although his increasingly disturbed behaviour had resulted in several psychiatric admissions by early adolescence, and by the age of 20, his presentation necessitated long-term secure psychiatric care. The present report describes the application and ethical issues pertaining to a differential reinforcement of inappropriate behaviour (DRI) programme for the reduction of ritualistic behaviour and social isolation, the latter being a direct consequence of the former, one year after the subject was admitted to a medium-secure assessment and treatment residential facility. The results suggest that, although the treatment was successful in targeting ritualization and reducing social isolation, ethical concerns extended to care staff concerns about the reinforcer adopted for the programme and the lack of informed consent from the subject. The former resulted in inconsistent application of the programme and its eventual termination. A follow-up assessment of the subject's extent of social isolation and ritualistic behaviour suggested a return to a pre-DRI level of morbidity. Limitations and suggestions for the future treatment of such cases are outlined.

Adult↗

PubMed1982

Barriers to medical care of Mexican-Americans: the role of social class, acculturation, and social isolation.

Literature on medical care utilization by Mexican-Americans suggests that patterns of utilization can be explained, in part, by acculturation, social class and social isolation. The relative importance of these variables is explored in a survey of a rural Mexican-American community in Southern Texas. Data on 152 families are analyzed using a logit analysis, with utilization as the outcome variable. The results suggest that acculturation has a direct effect, while social class and social isolation interact to have a weak effect independent of acculturation. These results confirm the importance of understanding all three variables in planning and implementing medical care programs in Mexican-American communities.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Validation of social isolation related to maturational age: elderly.

The purpose of this study was to obtain expert validation of the defining characteristics used when diagnosing social isolation in the elderly and to compare these characteristics with those identified in the NANDA Taxonomy I Revised (1990) and the characteristics identified by the investigator through a literature review. A descriptive survey design using Fehring's Diagnostic Content Validity Model and a Q-Sort methodology was used. The sample consisted of 300 registered nurses (68% response rate) selected randomly from the ANA's Council of Gerontology and Community Health. Findings suggest the need for clinical validation of this diagnosis and the possible need for the addition of developmental age categories to the defining characteristics of social isolation.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Depression, Hostility, and Social Isolation in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease.

Psychosocial risk factors such as depression, hostility, and social isolation are substantially more prevalent in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) than is widely recognized. It has been demonstrated that patients with CAD who have these risk factors, individually or together, may have a substantially increased risk for recurrent ischemic events, as well as cardiac death, when compared with unaffected CAD patients. Numerous adverse physiologic changes that appear to occur as a consequence of these psychosocial risk factors have been identified, including increased platelet aggregation, hyperadrenergic states, elevated cortisol levels, abnormal endothelial function, and an increased propensity towards malignant ventricular arrhythmias. Each of these may explain the increased risk of recurrent coronary events (including death) among afflicted patients. Under-recognition, and hence under-treatment, remains a principal obstacle for improvements in the care of patients with CAD who have psychosocial risk factors. The diagnosis of psychosocial risk factors depends on systematic patient evaluation by experienced clinicians trained in the recognition of these disorders. All clinicians must be aware of the potential importance of these factors, their sometimes subtle presenting characteristics, and the available treatment options. The universal use of comprehensive cardiovascular rehabilitation offers the ideal conduit for such evaluation and management. Nonpharmacologic therapies for psychosocial risk factors include psychotherapy, stress-reduction techniques, and exercise therapy. Studies suggest that the reduction of social isolation among depressed patients with CAD may result in a reduced mortality rate in comparison with those without improvements in isolation. Pharmacologic therapies are mainly for the management of depression, and largely center on the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Several SSRIs (paroxetine and sertraline) recently have been shown to be safe and effective for the treatment of depression in patients with ischemic heart disease. Whether use of antidepressants attenuate the increased cardiac risk from depression in the setting CAD remains to be proven; however, their use improves the quality of life in properly selected patients.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1994

Social isolation and support in pregnancy loss.

Drawing on the findings of a wider study, Lynda Rajan examined the social support received by women following the death of their baby through miscarriage, stillbirth or neonatal death. Her study reveals that many of the women experienced social isolation and did not receive the support they needed from partners, relatives, friends and health professionals. Sympathetic social support makes a vital contribution to the mourning process, the study showed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2005

Novel stressors affected catecholamine stores in socially isolated normotensive and spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Catecholamines in some central (hypothalamus and hippocampus) and peripheral tissues (adrenal glands and heart auricles) of long-term socially isolated normotensive and spontaneously hypertensive rats exposed to novel immobilization stress were determined by a simultaneous single isotope radioenzymatic assay. Long-term isolation (21 days) produced depletion of hypothalamic norepinephrine (NE) stores and hippocampal dopamine (DA) stores in both normotensive and spontaneously hypertensive rats. Acute immobilization stress (2 h) significantly decreased NE and DA stores in hypothalamus and hippocampus of naive normotensive and spontaneously hypertensive rats controls. However, novel immobilization stress applied to normotensive rats previously subjected to long-term isolation produced no changes in catecholamine levels in hypothalamus, while resulting in somewhat higher depletion of NE stores in hypothalamus of spontaneously hypertensive rats treated in the same way. Novel immobilization stress decreased NE and DA stores in hippocampus of normotensive but was without effect on NE and DA stores of spontaneously hypertensive rats. Social isolation did not affect catecholamine stores in peripheral tissues but novel immobilization stress produced a significant decrease in catecholamine content. The results suggest that some central and peripherals tissues of spontaneously hypertensive rats and normotensive rats differ with regard to catecholamine content and that there are certain differences in their responsiveness to stress.

Adrenal Glands↗

PubMed1976

Psychologic and psychophysiologic response to 105 days of social isolation.

The responses of nine subjects to 105 d of social isolation are reported. The study reveals that crew selection plus ongoing support by psychiatric staff permits continued function in an exotic milieu. Prediction of psychophysiologic symptoms was possible using paper and pencil tests. Trait anxiety was altered by the isolation in a psychologically healthy direction. Sudden time shifts of 8 h led to an immediate significant increase in depression, aggression, and hostility, and are accompanied by marked increases in physical symptoms. During the first free-running phase of the experiment, significant shifts were found on four psychological measures. The shifts indicate that subjects became less trusting, more orderly, more routinized, less energetic, and more depressed. A reducer-augmenter scale predicted the number of psychophysiologic complaints reported by individual subjects while isolated. A group interaction effect on circadian rhythms was isolated but needs further examination.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

Social isolation increases the density of [125I]omega-conotoxin GVIA binding sites in the rat frontal cortex and caudate nucleus.

Rats were reared from weaning either in isolation or in social groups for 12 weeks. Potential isolation-related changes in L- and N-type voltage-sensitive calcium channels (VSCCs) were assessed by the in vitro binding of [3H]isradipine (100 pM) and [125I]omega-conotoxin GVIA (4 pM) to membranes prepared from three discrete central nervous system regions: frontal cortex, caudate nucleus and hippocampus. The [3H]isradipine binding was generally not affected by isolation. However, [125I]omega-conotoxin GVIA binding was significantly higher in frontal cortex (52%) and caudate nucleus (75%) of isolated rats when compared with socially reared controls. The increased [125I]omega-conotoxin GVIA binding reflected an elevated density of binding sites without an alteration of receptor affinity. The possible contribution of an increased density of neuronal N-VSCCs (as labeled with [125I]omega-conotoxin GVIA) to the behavioral and neurochemical changes observed in 'isolation syndrome' is discussed.

Animals↗

PubMed1988

Social isolation and mortality in ischemic heart disease. A 10-year follow-up study of 150 middle-aged men.

The effects of psychosocial and clinical factors on mortality in ischemic heart disease (IHD) were examined in a 10-year follow-up of 150 middle-aged men. Three groups of men were included: men with clinically manifest IHD, men with risk factors and healthy men. Psychosocial factors were assessed by means of standardized questionnaires. They comprised educational level, social class, marital status and a comprehensive assessment of the daily rounds of life of these men. Furthermore, a subjective rating of the own general health status was obtained. The clinical investigation included a standard physical examination, fasting serum lipids, glucose and urate, a frontal and sagittal chest X-ray and a 24-hour ambulatory ECG monitoring. During follow-up 37 men died, 20 of them from IHD. Non-survivors were discriminated from survivors by the following factors: older age, lower education, lower social class, higher systolic blood pressure, increased ventricular irritability and cardiac enlargement. Furthermore, a relative social isolation as indicated by a low social activity level and a poor self-rated general health status was characteristic of non-survivors. In multivariate analyses three factors emerged as the equally strong predictors of mortality, both from all causes and from IHD: social isolation, a poor self-rated health status and ventricular irritability. The psychosocial mortality predictors were independent of and of similar strength as the clinical predictors.

Coronary Disease↗

PubMed1993

Neighborhood deterioration and social isolation in later life.

The purpose of this study is to test a conceptual model that attempts to show how selected neighborhood characteristics are related to social isolation in later life. This model specifies that older adults with low levels of educational attainment are more likely to experience financial problems and that elderly people who are confronted by financial difficulties are more likely to reside in dilapidated neighborhoods. The model further predicts that deteriorated neighborhoods in turn tend to promote distrust of others and older adults who are more distrustful of others tend to be more socially isolated. Based on data provided by a nationwide survey of elderly people, subsequent analyses revealed strong support for the theoretical sequence described above.

Age Factors↗

PubMed1987

The influence of social isolation, hypoxia and immobilization on potassium-stimulated dopamine release from telencephalon slices of mice.

Dopamine release from mice telencephalon slices was investigated following immobilization or hypobaric hypoxia exposure during periods of social isolation of different length which itself affects dopamine release in a characteristic manner. Isolation initially results in a decreasing release, which is compensated at the end by adaptive processes. The decrease of dopamine release induced by immobilization is highly dependent on the foregoing isolation. On the other hand, a hypoxia-induced decrease of release always dominates the results. Adaptive processes in consequence of social isolation are supposed to be important in relation to immobilization effects but not to hypoxia-induced changes.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

PubMed2006

Social isolation delays the positive effects of running on adult neurogenesis.

Social isolation can exacerbate the negative consequences of stress and increase the risk of developing psychopathology. However, the influence of living alone on experiences generally considered to be beneficial to the brain, such as physical exercise, remains unknown. We report here that individual housing precludes the positive influence of short-term running on adult neurogenesis in the hippocampus of rats and, in the presence of additional stress, suppresses the generation of new neurons. Individual housing also influenced corticosterone levels--runners in both housing conditions had elevated corticosterone during the active phase, but individually housed runners had higher levels of this hormone in response to stress. Moreover, lowering corticosterone levels converted the influence of short-term running on neurogenesis in individually housed rats from negative to positive. These results suggest that, in the absence of social interaction, a normally beneficial experience can exert a potentially deleterious influence on the brain.

Adrenalectomy↗

PubMed2005

Social isolation and delayed discovery of bodies in houses: the value of forensic pathology, anthropology, odontology and entomology in the medico-legal investigation.

The bodies of socially isolated people may remain undiscovered in their own houses for prolonged periods. Occasionally the body is in situ for sufficient time to become skeletonised, or partially so. Medico-legal investigation of these cases is complicated by degradation and contamination of evidence. Thus, a multidisciplinary forensic investigation is recommended. The potential contributions of forensic pathology, anthropology, odontology and entomology are outlined here with reference to two cases that occurred in Victoria, Australia, in 2003. Forensic pathologists are often unable to determine the cause of death in skeletonised bodies, however, they may find evidence to support either a natural or unnatural mode of death, and they may describe skeletal pathology or trauma, and identify skeletal features to support radiological identification of the deceased. Anthropologists can provide supplementary evidence of skeletal trauma. Additionally, they can assess age, sex, stature and racial affiliation from skeletal remains. Odontologists can identify individuals through comparison with ante-mortem dental records; however, potential difficulties exist in identifying the treating dentist of a socially isolated person. Odontologists may also examine the teeth and oro-facial skeleton for trauma. Entomologists may estimate minimum death time and/or season of death. Entomological examination of insect remains may also confirm that a body has lain in situ for a considerable period.

Adipose Tissue↗

PubMed1989

Social isolation and well-being.

We examined 10 common indicators of social isolation and assessed which, if any, are related to subjective well-being among elderly individuals. The quantitative measures (no daily contact and minimal weekly contact), no children, having no children plus being unmarried, and having no children plus living alone, were unrelated to either global happiness or life satisfaction. The combined indicators of living alone and being unmarried as well as single indicators of having no companions or having no confidants were related at the bivariate level to both measures of well-being. When controlling for demographic, economic, and health factors, having no confidants and no companions were significantly and independently related to subjective well-being. These findings suggest that practitioners who seek information on living arrangements or marital status as proxy measures of lower psychological well-being are utilizing the wrong predictors.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1985

Social isolation and tolerance development to sodium barbital in mice.

The effect of the duration of isolation periods on the development of tolerance to sodium barbital was studied in mice. The HD50 values for pentobarbital-induced hypnosis were higher in all mice that were long-term treated with sodium pentobarbital, whether or not they were isolated or in groups. Diazepam HD50s were higher in mice isolated and long-term treated with sodium barbital for 38 days and in grouped animals treated with the barbiturate for 20 and 30 days. Social isolation for 8 weeks plus 23 days increased the pentobarbital hypnotic dose (HD50). These data show that social isolation increased the rate of tolerance acquisition to sodium barbital by mice.

Animals↗