Childhood Social Isolation Research Articles

Social isolation and poor mental health in young people: testing genetic and environmental influences in a longitudinal cohort study.

We assessed genetic and environmental influences on social isolation across childhood and the overlap between social isolation and mental health symptoms including depression symptoms, conduct problems, and psychotic-like experiences from adolescence to young adulthood. Participants included 2,232 children from the Environmental Risk Longitudinal Twin Study. Social isolation was measured at ages 5, 7, 10, 12, and 18. A Cholesky decomposition was specified to estimate the genetic and environmental influences on social isolation across ages 5, 7, 10, and 12. An independent pathway model was used to assess additive genetic (A), shared environmental (C), and non-shared environmental (E) influences on the overlap between social isolation and mental health problems from age 12 to 18. Genetic and non-shared environmental influences accounted for half of the variance in childhood social isolation. Genetic influences contributed to the continuity of social isolation across childhood, while non-shared environmental influences were age-specific. The longitudinal overlap between social isolation and mental health symptoms was largely explained by genetic influences for depression symptoms (r = 0.15-0.24: 82-84% A, 11-12% C, and 5-6% E) and psychotic-like experiences (r = 0.13-0.15: 81-91% A, 0-8% C, and 9-11% E) but not conduct problems (r = 0.13-0.16; 0-42% A, 42-81% C, 16-24% E). Our findings emphasise that rather than a risk factor or an outcome, social isolation is aetiologically intertwined with the experience of poor mental health. An integrative assessment of social isolation could be a helpful indicator of underlying mental health symptoms in young people.

Social isolation, loneliness, and inflammation: A multi-cohort investigation in early and mid-adulthood

Social isolation and loneliness have been associated with poor health and increased risk for mortality, and inflammation might explain this link. We used data from the Danish TRIAGE Study of acutely admitted medical patients (N = 6,144, mean age 60 years), and from two population-representative birth cohorts: the New Zealand Dunedin Longitudinal Study (N = 881, age 45) and the UK Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study (N = 1448, age 18), to investigate associations of social isolation with three markers of systemic inflammation: C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and a newer inflammation marker, soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR), which is thought to index systemic chronic inflammation. In the TRIAGE Study, socially isolated patients (those living alone) had significantly higher median levels of suPAR (but not CRP or IL-6) compared with patients not living by themselves. Social isolation prospectively measured in childhood was longitudinally associated with higher CRP, IL-6, and suPAR levels in adulthood (at age 45 in the Dunedin Study and age 18 in the E-Risk Study), but only suPAR remained associated after controlling for covariates. Dunedin Study participants who reported loneliness at age 38 or age 45 had elevated suPAR at age 45. In contrast, E-Risk Study participants reporting loneliness at age 18 did not show any elevated markers of inflammation. In conclusion, social isolation was robustly associated with increased inflammation in adulthood, both in medical patients and in the general population. It was associated in particular with systemic chronic inflammation, evident from the consistently stronger associations with suPAR than other inflammation biomarkers.

The effect of childhood social isolation on behavioral cognition in Chinese middle-aged and older adults: The moderating effect of family support

IntroductionThis study aimed to analyze the association of childhood social isolation and behavioral cognition, and moderating effect of family support in middle-aged and older adults. MethodsThe study samples were from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) of 2014 and 2018. The dependent variable was behavioral cognitive ability, measured by episodic memory and mental state; The independent variable was childhood social isolation, and the moderating variable was family support. The baseline OLS regression model was used to explore the correlation among independent variables, dependent variables and moderating variables, the least square regression model was used to analyze the moderating effect of family support, and the replacement model and the method of replacing characteristic variables were used for the robustness test. Hierarchical regression heterogeneity analysis was performed to further verify the results of the moderating effect. ResultsIn this study, 3459 samples were selected for analysis. OLS baseline regression results showed that the deepening of childhood social isolation was significantly correlated with the decline of behavioral cognitive ability in middle-aged and elderly people (β=-0.9664, t = 0.0893). After adding all covariates, we found that childhood social isolation was significantly negatively correlated with behavioral cognitive ability in middle-aged and elderly people (β=-0.4118, t = 0.0785). Among the moderating variables of family support, we found that there is a moderating effect on female guardians' efforts of caring in early parental support (β=0.0948, t = 0.0320) and the frequency of children's visits in late children support (β=0.0073, t = 0.0036). Finally, through the heterogeneity test, we found that there were differences in the relationship between childhood social isolation and behavioral cognitive ability among middle-aged and elderly people of different ages, genders and places of residence. Moreover, there are significant differences in the moderating effect of female guardian's effort of caring and the frequency of children's visits in heterogeneous groups. ConclusionsThe greater the degree of childhood social isolation experienced by middle-aged and elderly people, the worse their behavioral cognitive ability. Female guardian's effort of caring and the frequency of children's visits have a moderating effect to suppress this negative effect.

Childhood Social Isolation as a Predictor of Retinal Neuronal Thickness in Middle Age: A Lifecourse Birth Cohort Study.

We investigated whether childhood social isolation was associated with retinal neural layer changes in adulthood, and whether this association was independent of other childhood or adulthood risk factors, including adult social isolation. Participants were members of the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study, a longitudinal population-based birth cohort from Aotearoa New Zealand ( n = 1037), born 1972 to 1973 and followed until age 45 years, with 94% of the living cohort still participating. Social isolation was recorded prospectively at ages 5, 7, 9, and 11 years, from teacher and parent report. Retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer thicknesses were measured via optical coherence tomography at age 45 years. Childhood social isolation was associated with thinner average RNFL ( B = -0.739, p = .02), nasal RNFL ( B = -1.118, p = .005), and inferior RNFL ( B = -1.524, p = .007), although only nasal RNFL remained significant after adjustment. These associations were not fully explained by other psychosocial or physical health risk factors in childhood or adulthood, nor were they mediated by adult loneliness or social support. Childhood social isolation was an independent predictor of RNFL thickness in middle age. Highlighting prospective links between childhood psychosocial adversity and retinal neuronal measures will help to inform future research into the utility of retinal neuronal thickness as a biomarker for neurodegeneration.

Childhood social isolation causes anxiety-like behaviors via the damage of blood-brain barrier in amygdala in female mice.

Social interaction plays an essential role in species survival for socialized animals. Previous studies have shown that a lack of social interaction such as social isolation, especially in the early-life phase, increases the risk of developing mental diseases in adulthood. Chronic social stress alters blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity and increases peripheral cytokines to infiltrate the brain, which is linked to the development of depressive-like behaviors in mice, suggesting that BBB function is crucial in environmental stimuli-driven mood disorders via increased neuroinflammation in the brain. However, the precise mechanisms of inflammation and BBB integrity underlying the behavioral profiles induced by social isolation remain poorly understood. Here we showed that chronic childhood social isolation from post-weaning for consecutive 8 weeks in female but not male C57BL/6J mice induces anxiety-like behaviors. The levels of peripheral inflammatory cytokines including interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in the plasma of socially isolated female mice were increased. Importantly, we found decreased expression of the endothelial cell tight junction protein Claudin-5, increased BBB breakdown and microglial activation in the amygdala of isolated but not group-housed female mice. Moreover, the neuronal activity in the amygdala was increased as evidenced by c-fos positive cells, and the levels of IL-1β in the amygdala, a critical brain region for regulating social processing and interaction, were also higher in female mice exposed to social isolation. Finally, down-regulation of Claudin-5 induced anxiety-like behaviors in group-housed females and overexpression of Claudin-5 with adeno-associated virus in the amygdala to restore BBB integrity decreased subsequent anxiety-like behaviors. Together, these findings suggest that chronic childhood social isolation impaired BBB permeability and caused neuroinflammation in the amygdala by recruiting peripheral cytokines into the brain and activating microglia, consequently triggering the development of anxiety-like behaviors in female mice.

Trajectories of childhood social isolation in a nationally representative cohort: Associations with antecedents and early adulthood outcomes.

This study examined early life antecedents of childhood social isolation, whether these factors accounted for poor outcomes of isolated children, and how these associations varied according to patterns of stability and change in childhood isolation. Participants included 2232 children from the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study. We conducted growth mixture modelling (GMM) on combined parent and teacher reports of children's social isolation when children were 5, 7, 10 and 12years, and we assessed associations with age-5 antecedents and age-18 outcomes using regression analyses. We identified three linear developmental trajectories of increasing (4.75%), decreasing (5.25%) and low stable (90.00%) social isolation. Age-5 attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, emotional problems, prosocial behaviours, maternal personality (openness) and size of school were associated with the decreasing trajectory of social isolation. When controlling for these antecedents, increasingly isolated children were still more likely to experience ADHD symptoms, loneliness, lower job optimism and lower physical activity at age 18. Isolated children follow distinct patterns of change over childhood and isolation seems most detrimental to health at the time it is experienced. Social isolation can be a valuable indicator of co-occurring problems and provide targets for mental health intervention in young people.

Establishment of a schizophrenic animal model through chronic administration of MK-801 in infancy and social isolation in childhood

BackgroundAlthough an increasing amount of evidence supports a “two-hit” hypothesis for the neurodevelopmental model of schizophrenia, there has been no development in animal models to test this hypothesis. MethodsAn animal model was established by chronic administration of 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5mg/kg MK-801 in P7-P21 rats followed by four weeks of social isolation in childhood and then five days of social housing. Animal behaviors were measured by the open field (OF) test, the novel object recognition (NOR) test, the prepulse inhibition (PPI) test, and the elevated plus maze (EPM) test. ResultsWe found a significant decrease in the NOR index in adolescent rats compared to saline control rats when administering 0.5mg/kg of MK-801 (P=0.02). We found that social isolation had no significant effect on NOR index, though social isolation significantly increased the total distance traveled and significantly decreased the resting time in adolescent rats in the OF test (P<0.001 and P=0.003, respectively). In contrast, we observed that MK-801 administration showed no significant effects on either total distance traveled or resting time. Both MK-801 administration and social isolation had no significant effect on the percent of PPI and startle amplitudes in adolescent rats. Social isolation significantly reduced the open arm entries in adolescent rats in the EPM test (P=0.023), but it did not reduce the ratio to enter the open arms and the stay time in open arm. Administration of MK-801 showed no significant effect on the indexes of entering the open arms in the EPM test on adolescent rats. ConclusionMK-801 intervention in infancy is associated with the damage of long-term visual memory, whereas social isolation in childhood is associated with the increased spontaneous activity and anxiety levels. Administration of MK-801 in infancy and social isolation in childhood are two independent factors on the neurodevelopmental defects.

Social isolation in childhood and adult inflammation: evidence from the National Child Development Study.

Social isolation is known to be associated with poorer health amongst adults, including coronary heart disease. It is hypothesized that this association may be mediated by inflammation. There has been little prospective research on the long-term impact of social isolation in childhood on adult health or the pathways which might be involved. The aim of this study was to investigate whether social isolation in childhood is associated with increased adult inflammation and the mechanisms involved across the life course. This study used multiply-imputed data on 7462 participants of the National Child Development Study in Great Britain. The association between child social isolation (7-11 yrs) and levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) in middle age (44 yrs) was examined. We additionally investigated the role of adult social isolation, psychological distress, health behaviors and socioeconomic factors as potential mediators using path analysis and concurrent measurements made across the life course. Socially isolated children had higher levels of C-reactive protein in mid-life (standardized coefficient=0.05, p≤0.001). In addition, children who were socially isolated tended to have lower subsequent educational attainment, be in a less advantaged social class in adulthood, were more likely to be psychologically distressed across adulthood and were more likely to be obese and to smoke. All of these factors partially explained the association between childhood social isolation and CRP. However, this association remained statistically significant after considering all mediators simultaneously. Social isolation in childhood is associated with higher levels of C-reactive protein in mid-life. This is explained in part through complex mechanisms acting across the life course. Identification and interventions targeted toward socially isolated children may help reduce long-term adult health risk.

Socially Isolated Children 20 Years Later

To test the hypothesis that children who occupy peripheral or isolated roles in their peer groups (isolated children) are at risk of poor adult health. Longitudinal study of an entire birth cohort. Dunedin, New Zealand. A total of 1037 children who were followed up from birth to age 26 years. Measurement of social isolation in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. When study members were 26 years old, we measured adult cardiovascular multifactorial risk status (overweight, elevated blood pressure, elevated total cholesterol level, low high-density lipoprotein level, elevated glycated hemoglobin concentration, and low maximum oxygen consumption). Socially isolated children were at significant risk of poor adult health compared with nonisolated children (risk ratio, 1.37; 95% confidence interval, 1.17-1.61). This association was independent of other well-established childhood risk factors for poor adult health (low childhood socioeconomic status, low childhood IQ, childhood overweight), was not accounted for by health-damaging behaviors (lack of exercise, smoking, alcohol misuse), and was not attributable to greater exposure to stressful life events. In addition, longitudinal findings showed that chronic social isolation across multiple developmental periods had a cumulative, dose-response relationship to poor adult health (risk ratio, 2.58; 95% confidence interval, 1.46-4.56). Longitudinal findings about children followed up to adulthood suggest that social isolation has persistent and cumulative detrimental effects on adult health. The findings underscore the usefulness of a life-course approach to health research, by focusing attention on the effect of the timing of psychosocial risk factors in relation to adult health.

Investigating the Circle of Friends Approach: Adaptations and Implications for Practice

Circle of Friends is a recent intervention used to tackle social isolation in childhood. Its aim is to promote social inclusion by establishing a friendship group for an isolated child. Although there is some literature relating to the development and implementation of this approach, there is relatively little evidence regarding its effectiveness. Two evaluation studies of the Circle of Friends approach are discussed in this paper. Both studies involve adaptations of the traditional model. Consideration of these models and an evaluation of their relative effectiveness in promoting social inclusion is made. Implications for educational psychology practice are explored.

Aggressive sexual fantasy in men with schizophrenia who commit contact sex offences against women

A search of Home Office records was completed for all 80 restricted hospital order inpatients with schizophrenia, resident in any hospital in England and Wales during May 1997, with an index conviction for a contact sex offence against a woman committed whilst psychotic. Almost one quarter of the men (19) had aggressive sexual fantasies at the time of their index offences and in 13 of these men the fantasy was sadistic in nature. Men with aggressive sexual fantasies were more likely to have a history of sexual offending before the onset of schizophrenia, when compared with men without such fantasies; and more likely to have evidence of disturbed and adverse childhood experiences as indicated by a range of childhood variables, again when compared with men without such fantasies. However, controlling for other variables, only childhood social isolation and childhood deviant sexual behaviour remained significantly associated with future presence of aggressive sexual fantasy at the time of the index sex offence. A thorough examination of fantasy life should be regarded as being an important component of a comprehensive assessment and treatment programme for psychotic sex offenders.

People at risk of schizophrenia. Sample characteristics of the first 100 cases in the Edinburgh High-Risk Study.

The Edinburgh High-Risk Study is designed to explore the underlying pathogenesis of schizophrenia. To establish the sample characteristics of the first 100 subjects in this study of young adults at risk of schizophrenia for genetic reasons, and to compare them with appropriate controls. Details of the recruitment of the first 100 high-risk subjects aged 16-25 years into a prospective Scotland-wide study are given. Subjects and 30 age- and gender-matched normal controls were interviewed using the PSE, SADS-L and SIS and an unstructured psychiatric interview. Some significant differences emerged between the high-risk group and the control group, namely in previous psychiatric history (31 v. 6.3%), forensic contacts (19 v. 3.1%) and delinquent behaviour (20 v. 3.1%). There were also differences in some parameters from the SIS: childhood social isolation, interpersonal sensitivity, social isolation, suicidal ideation, restricted affect, oddness and disordered speech. These differences may represent increased risk of developing schizophrenia although their true significance will not be revealed until the cohort has been followed through the at-risk years.

The many faces of social isolation in childhood.

The many faces of social isolation in childhood.

The many faces of social isolation in childhood.

The many faces of social isolation in childhood.

Methodological issues in conceptualizing and treating childhood social isolation.

Methodological issues in conceptualizing and treating childhood social isolation.

Methodological issues in conceptualizing and treating childhood social isolation.

Methodological issues in conceptualizing and treating childhood social isolation.