Opinion dynamics on higher-order networks with stubbornness and trust.

Investigating extra-medical opioid use and social networks among people with post-traumatic stress disorder

Diversity of social networks versus quality of social support: Which is more protective for health-related quality of life among older adults?

ObjectivesResearchers have posited that one potential explanation for the better-than-expected health outcomes observed among some Latino immigrants, vis-à-vis their US-born counterparts, may be the strength of social ties and social support among immigrants.MethodsWe examined the association between nativity status and social ties using data from the Chicago Community Adult Health Study's Latino subsample, which includes Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, and other Latinos. First, we used ordinary least squares (OLS) regression methods to model the effect of nativity status on five outcomes: informal social integration; social network diversity; network size; instrumental support; and informational support. Using multilevel mixed-effects regression models, we estimated the association between Latino/immigrant neighborhood composition and our outcomes, and whether these relationships varied by nativity status. Lastly, we examined the relationship between social ties and immigrants' length of time in the USA.ResultsAfter controlling for individual-level characteristics, immigrant Latinos had significantly lower levels of social ties than their US-born counterparts for all the outcomes, except informational support. Latino/immigrant neighborhood composition was positively associated with being socially integrated and having larger and more diverse social networks. The associations between two of our outcomes (informal social integration and network size) and living in a neighborhood with greater concentrations of Latinos and immigrants were stronger for US-born Latinos than for immigrant Latinos. US-born Latinos maintained a significant social ties advantage over immigrants – regardless of length of time in the USA – for informal social integration, network diversity, and network size.ConclusionAt the individual level, our findings challenge the assumption that Latino immigrants would have larger networks and/or higher levels of support and social integration than their US-born counterparts. Our study underscores the importance of understanding the contexts that promote the development of social ties. We discuss the implications of these findings for understanding Latino and immigrant social ties and health outcomes.

Objective: Poor social support is a robust predictor of suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STB). However, little is known about which components of social support (ie, diversity of social networks and perceived strength of social support) may play a protective role for STB.Methods: We analyzed data from the 2012-2013 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions Wave III to examine whether diversity of social networks or perceived strength of social support was inversely associated with lifetime STB (ie, suicidal ideation and suicide attempts). Multivariable-adjusted analyses examined the independent association between components of social support and STB, while accounting for sociodemographic, clinical, and behavioral covariates.Results: Among adults with a history of suicide attempt, the majority reported low diversity/high perceived support (48.5%), followed by high diversity/high perceived support (36.0%). Similar patterns were found among adults with lifetime suicidal ideation. In multivariable-adjusted analyses, greater social network diversity was associated with a lower relative risk (RR) of suicidal ideation (RR = 0.83; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.75-0.83) and attempt (RR = 0.79; 95% CI, 0.67-0.94). While greater perceived strength of social support was linked to a lower risk of suicide attempt (RR = 0.81; 95% CI, 0.68-0.97), such an association was not observed for ideation.Conclusions: Greater diversity of social networks was more strongly associated with lower risks of suicidal ideation and attempt than perceived strength of social support. Psychosocial interventions to enhance the diversity of social networks may be a source to mitigate risks for STB, but further research is warranted.

Social networks influence the quantity and quality of linguistic input experienced in everyday listening environments. In normal-hearing listeners, the variable linguistic input provided by larger and more diverse social networks has been shown to support speech processing. However, for adult cochlear implant (CI) users, limitations in the perception of linguistic and talker details may limit input variability benefits. The current study examined the effects of social network size and diversity on the recognition of spectrotemporally degraded speech by adult CI users. Twenty-six postlingually deafened adult CI users completed a detailed questionnaire about their regular communication partners. Social network size was calculated as the number of regular communication partners, and social network diversity was calculated as the degree of age, education, and accent heterogeneity among communication partners. Social network metrics were compared to vowel, word, and sentence recognition accuracy scores, also controlling for basic auditory ability. Results showed that social network age diversity was moderately to strongly correlated with word and sentence recognition accuracy. Social network size and other diversity metrics were not related to word or sentence recognition accuracy. These findings suggest that more diverse input from different age groups facilitates spoken word recognition in adult CI users.

The rapid advancement of generative artificial intelligence (AI) has made AI-driven content curation a dominant force in shaping public discourse on social media. Platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok employ recommendation algorithms to personalise content and increase user engagement. However, these systems also intensify concerns over media pluralism, algorithmic bias, and misinformation. By prioritising user preferences, they reinforce filter bubbles and restrict exposure to diverse viewpoints. As a result, democratic dialogue weakens, and public opinion formation becomes distorted. This study examines how AI-assisted content curation affects media diversity in European social networks, focusing on platform accountability and regulatory challenges. Special attention is given to recent policy interventions, including DSA (2022), Germany’s Action Plan (2024), and the EU AI Act (2025) initiatives on AI-generated political content. However, they also expose significant gaps in enforcement and oversight. To evaluate regulatory impact, this study analyses platform policies, legal frameworks, and AI content selection mechanisms. Despite transparency being a main objective, findings reveal current regulations unable to reduce algorithmic bias or achieve balanced content representation. In response, the study advocates for improved explainable AI (XAI) models, demands stronger regulatory oversight, and supports increased user control over content selection. By addressing these shortcomings, this research contributes to the wider debate on AI ethics, media governance, and digital policy in Europe.

BackgroundHaving a diverse social network is considered to be beneficial to a person’s well-being. The significance, however, of social network diversity in the geriatric assessment of people aged ≥80 years has not been adequately investigated within the Southeast Asian context. This study explored the social networks belonging to the elderly aged ≥80 years and assessed the relation of social network and geriatric depression.MethodsThis study was a community-based cross-sectional survey conducted in Chiang Mai Province, Northern Thailand. A representative sample of 435 community residents, aged ≥80 years, were included in a multistage sample. The participants’ social network diversity was assessed by applying Cohen’s social network index (SNI). The geriatric depression scale and activities of daily living measures were carried out during home visits. Descriptive analyses revealed the distribution of SNI, while the relationship between the SNI and the geriatric depression scale was examined by ordinal logistic regression models controlling possible covariants such as age, sex, and educational attainment.ResultsThe median age of the sample was 83 years, with females comprising of 54.94% of the sample. The participants’ children, their neighbors, and members of Buddhist temples were reported as the most frequent contacts of the study participants. Among the 435 participants, 25% were at risk of social isolation due to having a “limited” social network group (SNI 0–3), whereas 37% had a “medium” social network (SNI 4–5), and 38% had a “diverse” social network (SNI ≥6). The SNI was not different among the two sexes. Activities of daily living scores in the diverse social network group were significantly higher than those in the limited social network group. Multivariate ordinal logistic regression analysis models revealed a significant negative association between social network diversity and geriatric depression.ConclusionRegular and frequent contact with various social contacts may safeguard common geriatric depression among persons aged ≥80 years. As a result, screening those at risk of social isolation is recommended to be integrated into routine primary health care-based geriatric assessment and intervention programs.

Cross-Sectional Study of Young Adults Diagnosed With Juvenile Fibromyalgia: Social Support and Its Impact on Functioning and Mood

Together We Can Improve Outcomes in Kidney Failure: Examining Social Networks in Hemodialysis

ABSTRACTObjectives: This study compared the association between social networks and alcohol consumption among middle-aged (MA) and older adults (OA) to better understand the nature of the relationship between those two factors among OA and MA.Method: We examined Wave 2 of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Current drinkers aged over 50 were subdivided into two age groups: MA (50–64, n = 5214) and OA (65 and older, n = 3070). Each age group was stratified into drinking levels (low-risk vs. at-risk) based on alcohol consumption. The size and diversity of social networks were measured. Logistic regression models were used to examine age differences in the association between the social networks (size and diversity) and the probability of at-risk drinking among two age groups.Results: A significant association between the social networks diversity and lower odds of at-risk drinking was found among MA and OA. However, the relationship between the diversity of social networks and the likelihood of at-risk drinking was weaker for OA than for MA. The association between social networks size and at-risk drinking was not significant among MA and OA.Conclusion: The current study suggests that the association between social networks diversity and alcohol use among OA differs from the association among MA, and few social networks were associated with alcohol use among OA. In the future, research should consider an in-depth exploration of the nature of social networks and alcohol consumption by using longitudinal designs and advanced methods of exploring drinking networks.

We investigate the impact of noise and topology on opinion diversity in social networks. We do so by extending well-established models of opinion dynamics to a stochastic setting where agents are subject both to assimilative forces by their local social interactions, as well as to idiosyncratic factors preventing their population from reaching consensus. We model the latter to account for both scenarios where noise is entirely exogenous to peer influence and cases where it is instead endogenous, arising from the agents’ desire to maintain some uniqueness in their opinions. We derive a general analytical expression for opinion diversity, which holds for any network and depends on the network’s topology through its spectral properties alone. Using this expression, we find that opinion diversity decreases as communities and clusters are broken down. We test our predictions against data describing empirical influence networks between major news outlets and find that incorporating our measure in linear models for the sentiment expressed by such sources on a variety of topics yields a notable improvement in terms of explanatory power.

Objective:Social support is an emerging protective factor against cognitive decline. However, the relationship between social support and cognitive functioning in the multiple sclerosis (MS) population is not well understood. The present study aimed to investigate the associations between different aspects of social support and cognitive performance among persons with MS.Participants and Methods:A volunteer sample of 63 persons with MS (% female = 88.9, mean age = 48.16) completed measures assessing perceived levels of social support measured by the Medical Outcomes Study Support Social Survey 5-item short form (MSSS-5), and social network (social network diversity and total size of social network) measured by the Social Network Index (SNI). Cognitive functioning was assessed by a brief virtual examiner-administered neuropsychological test battery (using a teleconferencing platform), including the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, Controlled Oral Word Association Test, animal naming, and the Symbol Digit Modalities Test. Participants also completed brief, self-paced, virtual cognitive tests through the testmybrain.org platform, which consisted of digit span and the Trail-Making Test. A principal component analysis (PCA) was carried out to reduce the number of neuropsychological outcomes into fewer dimensions. Multiple linear regressions were conducted to examine the associations between social support measures and cognitive performance. Regression models were adjusted by the levels of depressive symptoms (operationalized by the Chicago Multiscale Depression Inventory or the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) and premorbid functioning (measured by the Test of Premorbid Functioning).Results:A PCA reduced neuropsychological outcomes into 3 components representing cognitive domains of 1) processing speed/executive functioning, 2) verbal memory, and 3) verbal fluency / simple attention. In the unadjusted models, both perceived social support (i.e., to what extent one receives assistance from their social network) as well as total size of social network (i.e., total number of people one regularly talks to) were significant predictors of the processing speed/executive functioning component score of moderate strength, where F(1, 59) = 11.93, p = .001, β = 0.41 and F(1, 59) = 11.57, p = .001, β = 0.41, respectively. These associations were maintained after adjusting for depressive symptoms and level of premorbid functioning (F(4, 55) = 3.31, p = .003 and F(4, 55) = 3.31, p = .006, respectively). On the other hand, social network diversity (i.e., number of different types of close social relationships one has) was not a significant predictor of the processing speed/executive functioning component score (p > 0.05). None of the social support measures were significantly associated with the verbal memory and verbal fluency/simple attention component scores.Conclusions:Greater social support (specifically, perceived levels of assistance and total size of social network) is associated with better performance on processing speed/executive functioning measures among persons with MS, independent of effects from depressive symptoms and premorbid functioning. Maintaining a strong social support network may be an important factor in optimizing cognitive health in MS.

In recent years, accumulating evidence has pointed to the possible negative effects of cannabis use in social and interpersonal context. In this study, we explored the association between level of cannabis use and perceived social support and the extent to which social network size and diversity may mediate this association. Data from the NESARC-III was analyzed. Participants were either non-cannabis users (N = 32,523), using cannabis without qualifying for a diagnosis of cannabis use disorder (N = 2729), or qualifying for Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD; N = 972). Perceived social support was measured by the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List-12 and social network size and diversity were measured using the “Social Network Index.” Baron and Kenny’s statistical method was used for mediation analyses, with control for possible covariates and Bonferroni corrections applied. After controlling for covariates, social network size and diversity independently and fully mediated the association between level of cannabis use and general perceived social support (direct effect: b = −0.02, p = 0.0521, and b = −0.02, p = 0.057, respectively). According to these analyses, level of cannabis use was significantly associated with decreased social network size and diversity, which in turn were associated with lower perceived social support. Our findings highlight the need to address possible changes in social network among cannabis users.

Aim: The well-being of healthcare workers is a critical indicator in the provision of high-quality care. Although researchers have stressed the importance of social interactions and social support, scarce data exist about their effects on healthcare workers’ well-being. In this study, we aim to advance the research on the relationships between social network diversity (SND), social support, and thriving.Methods: In a cross-sectional design, an anonymous online link was shared among healthcare workers in a university hospital. The survey included questions on demographics, medical diseases, items from the social network index, the multidimensional perceived social support scale, and the brief and comprehensive inventories of thriving scales.Results: A total of 103 individuals participated in the study (median age, min-max=33 (18-57); male/female = 33/70). Men and women did not differ in SND, perceived social support, or thriving scores. The brief inventory of thriving demonstrated healthcare workers older than 38 years exhibited higher scores in thriving compared to those younger than 27 years (p=0.001). According to comprehensive inventory of thriving, belonging (p=0.032), skills (p=0.006), self-worth (p=0.048), meaning and purpose (p<0.001), optimism (p=0.009), life-satisfaction (p=0.012), and positive emotions (p=0.042) differed by age groups. SND (r=.56, p<0.001) and perceived social support (r=.53, p<0.001) were positively correlated with thriving. After adjusting for potential confounders, SND, perceived social support, and age accounted for 46% of the total effects on thriving.Conclusion: This study expands on the literature and provides evidence that by increasing the diversity of social networks and improving the quality and functionality of social support, a significant and positive impact on HCWs’ well-being may be achieved.

BackgroundHaving a larger social network has been shown to have beneficial effects on health and survival in adults, but few studies have evaluated the role of network diversity, in addition...