Effects Of Social Connectedness Research Articles

Age-Specific Changes in the Effects of Social Connectedness and Loneliness on Depressive Symptoms: Evidence From the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

This study investigates the longitudinal effects of changes in the associations between two distinct aspects of social connections-i.e., social connectedness and loneliness-on depressive symptoms among community-dwelling Korean adults. This study also examines whether these associations vary across three age groups (45-64, 65-74, and 75 or above). Using data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing collected between 2014 and 2020 (n=3,642 individuals), fixed effects models were used to examine the age-specific associations between the two distinct aspects of social connections and depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale) while, accounting for time-invariant individual heterogeneity. Social connectedness is measured by asking the frequency of interactions with friends, relatives, or neighbors. The findings indicate that the impact of loneliness on depressive symptoms outweighs that of social disconnectedness. Notably, this study unveils age-specific patterns concerning the impact of the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic on depressive symptoms and changes in the association between loneliness and depressive symptoms. Specifically, middle-aged individuals reported higher levels of depressive symptoms and loneliness along with a heightened impact of loneliness on depressive symptoms, despite maintaining stable social connections. Conversely, the oldest adults experienced reductions in both depressive symptoms and loneliness, despite a significant decrease in socializing. These findings shed light on the differential effects of loneliness on depressive symptoms within distinct age groups before and during the pandemic. The implications of these findings are discussed with a focus on informing the development of targeted policy interventions tailored to the specific needs of different age groups.

Social Connectedness and Perceived Stress Among Caregivers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: a Mixed-Methods Study.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented stressors for caregivers due to social distancing requirements that simultaneously increased their responsibilities and reduced opportunities for social connection and support. This concurrent embedded mixed-methods study examined differences between caregivers and non-caregivers regarding the effects of social connectedness on perceived stress and explored challenges caregivers experienced related to social connectedness and perceived stress. A national online survey containing forced-choice and free-response questions was administered between April and June 2020. The survey was distributed via social media advertisements and a crowdsourcing platform to eligible adult residents in the United States (US) fluent in either English or Spanish. Multivariable regression and thematic analysis were used to analyze the quantitative and qualitative data. Mixed-methods integration occurred during the data analysis, interpretation, and reporting phases. The study sample comprised 1540 US adults (1275 non-caregivers, 265 caregivers; 65% women; 36% racial/ethnic minorities). Relative to non-caregivers, caregivers had lower levels of social connectedness and higher levels of perceived stress. Social connectedness was also inversely related to perceived stress for non-caregivers (p < 0.001) and slightly but not significantly positively related to perceived stress for caregivers. Qualitative findings showed caregivers experienced a variety of stressors including fear of COVID-19 exposure to their care recipients, disruption to usual care routines, and difficulty accessing healthcare services that may have contributed to decrements in social connectedness and higher levels of perceived stress. Findings suggest social connectedness may be beneficial for reducing perceived stress, but its impact can vary depending on individual circumstances. Overall, findings support the idea that caregivers are a particularly vulnerable sub-group of the population and may benefit from more targeted support and interventions.

사별 후 침습적 반추와 외상 후 성장의 관계에서 사회적유대감의 매개효과

This study examined the mediating effect of social connectedness in the relationship betweenintrusive rumination after bereavement and posttraumatic growth. For this purpose, an onlinesurvey was conducted on 270 adults, and 257 questionnaires were used as final data except forthe questionnaires that were unfaithfully answered. The results of this study are as follows. First, intrusive rumination showed a significant negative correlation with social bond, positivecorrelation with posttraumatic growth, and social connectedness had a significant positivecorrelation with posttraumatic growth. Second, the most influential variable on posttraumaticgrowth were proved to intrusive rumination, and social connectedness and gender were foundto affect posttraumatic growth. This is interpreted that men rather than women, and the higherthe intrusive ruminum and social connectedness, the higher the posttraumatic growth. Third,social connectedness were proved to mediate in the relationship between intrusive ruminationand posttraumatic growth. This can be interpreted as the higher the social connectedness, thelower the intrusive ruminating and the higher the posttraumatic growth. Based on the results ofthis study, The imitations of the study and implications for the further research were discussed.

Effects of Social Connectedness on the Sharing of Employee-Created Content.

With the popularity of social network platforms (e.g., Facebook and WeChat), users can easily build social connections with others, create content, and even forward or share content. While previous studies on content sharing shed light on either content creator or receiver, this paper is to investigate whether, when, and how the social connectedness of content creator (i.e., employee) and receiver (i.e., employee’s friend) jointly influence the sharing likelihood of receiver. We conducted a field study on the largest social media platform and two experiments in China. Study 1 found that well-connected receivers prefer to share content from well-connected employee, and poorly connected receivers prefer to share content from poorly connected employee, but if the content contains promotional information, well-connected receivers are less likely to share it from the well-connected employee. Studies 2 and 3 confirmed these findings and verified that self-enhancement motivation acts as a mediator. The findings suggest that firm should choose the “right” employees who will send content to their “right” friends and caution about the crowd-out effect of promotional content. We provide new insights into the joint effects of creator and receiver, the moderating role of promotional content, and the mediating role of self-enhancement, which enriches both viral marketing and social media literature.

Fostering Social Connectedness in Educational Qualitative Research

This paper discusses the meaning and effect of social connectedness in the process of the research storytelling. It will start by arguing that the social aspect of the qualitative research is directly affected by the philosophical underpinnings of the researcher which, in turn, influences the paradigm tradition the research situates itself in. Following this debate, a research scenario will be presented where the reader will be taken on a journey from the issue, aims and purpose to the design, methodology, method and ethical considerations. This journey will highlight how the social constructionism theoretical framework permeates through all the decisions that have been made during the research design, implementation, analysis and the final stages. Keywords: social constructionism, connections, collaboration, action research DOI: 10.7176/JEP/12-10-13 Publication date: April 30 th 2021

Social isolation, loneliness, and cognitive impairment in late life: The MYHAT study

BackgroundSocial isolation and loneliness have detrimental effects on the health of older adults. Being socially isolated and lonely are likely both predictors and consequences of cognitive impairment with aging. However, isolation and loneliness may be differentially associated with cognitive impairment and may operate through both shared and unique pathways. The present study aimed to examine the association of social isolation and loneliness with concurrent cognitive impairment, and to explore potential mechanisms of the association.MethodsParticipants (n =1,982; Mage = 77.65 years, 1,210 (61.1%) female, 1,877 (94.7%) white, 815 (41.12% > high school education) were from a population‐based study of mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Three composite measures derived from factor analysis, representing social network structure, social connectedness, and loneliness were examined in relation to clinical dementia rating (CDR normal = 0 vs. CDR impaired >= 0.5) at baseline, adjusted for demographic characteristics. The indirect effects of the composite measures were also estimated conditioned on general health and function, lifestyle factors, vascular health, depressive symptoms, and sleep.ResultsOf the participants, 569 (28.71%) were cognitively impaired at baseline. Social connectedness (OR 1.48, 95% CI=1.33‐1.64) and loneliness (OR 1.38, 95% CI=1.24‐1.54), but not social network structure, were significantly associated with greater likelihood of being cognitively impaired after adjustment for demographics. These effects remained significant after separate adjustments for general health and function, lifestyle factors, vascular health, depressive symptoms, sleep, and other composites. The effect of social connectedness was appreciably attenuated by general health status and function (OR 1.37, 95% CI=1.22‐1.54), while loneliness was appreciably attenuated by depressive symptoms (OR 1.26, 95% CI=1.12‐1.42).ConclusionsOlder adults with lower levels of social connectedness and higher perception of loneliness are more likely to be cognitively impaired, which were partially explained by health and function and depressive symptoms, respectively. Addressing these factors may reduce risk for cognitive impairment, or conversely, reduce risk for disconnectedness and loneliness among those with cognitive impairment. These results have implications for the impact that limited social contact and feelings of loneliness during the COVID‐19 pandemic may have on older adults with or at risk for cognitive impairment.

The Determinants and Effects of Social Connectedness in Europe

We use aggregated data from Facebook to study the structure of social networks across European regions. Social connectedness declines strongly in geographic distance and at country borders. Historical borders and unions — such as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Czechoslovakia, and East/West Germany — shape present-day social connectedness over and above today's political boundaries. All else equal, social connectedness is stronger between regions with residents of similar ages and education levels, as well as between those that share a language and religion. In contrast, region-pairs with dissimilar incomes tend to be more connected, likely due to increased migration from poorer to richer regions. We find more socially connected region-pairs to have more passenger train trips between them, even after controlling for distance and travel time. We also find that regions with a higher share of connections to other countries have higher rates of trust in the E.U. and lower rates of voting for anti-E.U. political parties.

The Effect of Social connectedness and Mindfulness on Sustainable Wellbeing

A global survey states that humans, in general, are increasingly happy globally. These results contradict the global situation where environmental disasters and global warming are increasingly threatening and making damage in various parts of the world. This, in turn, will result in unhappiness, at least in the long run. Because of this contradiction, sustainable wellbeing is raised, a more ethical concept, and hence, more essential for human welfare. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of perceived job insecurity and mindfulness on sustainable wellbeing. This study used 140 employees in service center companies in Bekasi district and Karawang, The results show that social connectedness has a significant and positive effect on sustainable wellbeing. Mindfulness also has a significant and positive effect on sustainable wellbeing. The researcher uses the socio-ecological perspective as the grand theory to explain the relationship between the hypothesized relationships.

커피전문점의 지속가능경영과 브랜드 충성도 관계에서 사회적 연결감의 매개효과

커피전문점의 지속가능경영과 브랜드 충성도 관계에서 사회적 연결감의 매개효과

Attitudes, Norms, and the Effect of Social Connectedness on Adolescent Sexual Risk Intention.

Risky sexual behaviors put adolescents at increased risk of adverse outcomes. Parents, school-based adults, and peers play important roles in influencing these sex intentions. This work explored the influence of parent-child sex communication on adolescent attitudes, perceived norms, and intentions to have sex, including the moderating role of social support from school-based adults, in a sample of 21,731 adolescents in California. Although increased parent-child sex communication was associated with intentions to have sex, it also exhibited protective effects, increasing abstinence attitudes among youth that led to decreased intention directly and via support from school-based adults. Although many factors influencing sexual behaviors are largely intrapersonal, these findings indicate the importance of an ecological approach to reducing adolescent sexual risk behaviors through engagement of parents and increased school connectedness.

Differential Role of Social Connectedness in Geriatric Depression Among Southeast Asian Ethnic Groups.

There is little empirical evidence on the effects of social connectedness on geriatric depression for Southeast Asians. Studies have rarely examined interethnic differences in the resilience factors for depression in this diverse population. Greater understanding is needed as the number of older Southeast Asians in the United States increases. We sought to examine the association between social connectedness and depressive symptoms in Vietnamese, Laotian, and Cambodian elders. Using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach, bilingual/bicultural staff collected demographics, the Lubben Social Network Scale, and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Univariate and multivariate regression models were constructed for the full aggregated sample and for each ethnic subgroup. In the full aggregated sample analysis, Southeast Asian elders were at increased risk for depression and had low social connectedness. Marriage and English proficiency were resilience factors, whereas social connectedness did not play a significant role. In disaggregated analyses, high social connectedness, marriage, and younger age were resilience factors for Vietnamese elders. English proficiency was the only significant resilience factor for Laotians, and age at the time of immigration was the only significant resilience factor for Cambodian elders. This study underscores the need for researchers to disaggregate data for ethnic subgroups in the Asian American population. Southeast Asian elders are at increased risk for depression and have low social connectedness. There exist important interethnic differences in resilience factors for geriatric depression, suggesting the need for more studies and interventions that are sensitive to subtle cultural differences among Southeast Asian subgroups.

Director Connectedness, Career Concerns, and Monitoring Efficacy

We examine the effect of social connectedness of independent, non-co-opted audit committee directors, focusing on their ability to prevent corporate misconduct. We posit that directors with greater connectedness in the social network are better shielded from career concerns, suggesting that they have greater incentives to monitor. We find that 1) conditional on detected misconduct, well-connected directors have greater protection from labor market repercussions than less-connected directors; 2) audit committee connectedness has a positive effect on the quality of financial reporting; and 3) market reactions to the sudden loss of a highly connected director is significantly more negative than for less connected directors. Our results are robust to multiple approaches to mitigate endogeneity. Overall, well-connected boards appear to be effective in promoting shareholders’ interests.

Types of Social Connectedness and Loneliness: the Joint Moderating Effects of Age and Gender

Drawing on Maslow’s Theory, this study aims to examine how the interaction between age and gender moderates the associations between types of social connectedness (i.e., parents, siblings, friends, and teachers) and loneliness. The results of multigroup analyses using a sample of 618 school-going adolescents showed that the effect of social connectedness on loneliness varies across different subgroups of age and gender. Specifically, parent connectedness predicts lower loneliness for older males. For older females, parent connectedness showed the same pattern of reduced loneliness. Furthermore, younger males and younger females were getting less lonely with having sibling connectedness. On the other hand, the findings have failed to find significant relationship between friend and teacher connectedness and loneliness across four subgroups. Overall, the results provide further evidence of the protective effect of family connectedness on loneliness, and for informing under what conditions the effect is strengthened or weakened.

The effects of social connectedness and need satisfaction on wellbeing in older adults

The effects of social connectedness and need satisfaction on wellbeing in older adults

Over-education among Immigrants in Europe: The Value of Civic Involvement

The present study investigates the effect of social connectedness through associational involvement on over-education among immigrants in 19 European societies, addressing the often-claimed importance of weak ties. Based on the idea that the effectiveness of social networks in distributing relevant information may depend on the degree to which such networks are linked to other networks, it thereby specifically distinguishes between associations that are connected to the wider community and those that are rather isolated. Using pooled individual-level data from the European Social Survey, empirical analyses indeed reveal active participation in associations to be related to lower risk of experiencing over-education. Moreover, the effect appears type specific, indicating access to multiple associations which are widely connected to different parts of society to be of particular benefit, especially in case of more recent migration.

Social Connectedness Predicts Lower Loneliness and Depressive Symptoms over Time in Adolescents

Although research has shown that loneliness in adolescents leads to higher rates of depressive symptoms, the presumed protective factor of social connectedness has not been studied in conjunction with these two constructs. The aim of the present study was to determine if social connectedness would predict lower loneliness and depressive symptoms over time in a large sample of adolescents. A large sample of adolescents (N = 1774; 9-16 years at Time 1) were surveyed three times, separated by one year each, with self-report measures of social connectedness, loneliness, and depressive symptoms obtained. As expected, social connectedness was negatively associated with loneliness and depressive symptoms concurrently and longitudinally. Contrary to prediction, social connectedness did not function as a buffer between loneliness and depressive symptoms over time. However, consistent with prediction, a significant longitudinal mediation pattern was obtained over the three years: the effect of social connectedness on depressive symptoms was mediated by loneliness. Social connectedness at T1 predicted a reduction in loneliness at T2, which in turn predicted a reduction in depressive symptoms at T3. Moderation analyses of this mediation pattern suggested that this obtained mediation result was obtained for males, but not females, and obtained for older adolescents, but not for younger adolescents. The results are congruent with the view that social connectedness exerts an effective protective influence on adolescents against loneliness and depressive symptoms.

Racial differences in physician usage among the elderly poor in the United States

Despite the rapidly growing ranks of the elderly in America, the increasing racial and ethnic diversity of this population, and the large number of seniors who are poor, there are relatively few systematic investigations that examine the causes of racial differences in health care use specifically among elders living in poverty. This article addresses this issue by examining differences in patterns of having and using a physician among the elderly poor, the role that race plays and what might explain it. We demonstrate that even within this disadvantaged and medically engaged population there are persistent and significant racial differences in having and using a doctor. Specifically, we show: (1) Whites and women are more likely to have a regular doctor than men and African Americans; (2) Among those who have a doctor, whites and women also visit the doctor with greater frequency than other groups even at the same levels of health or illness; (3) After accounting for the varying levels and effects of social connectedness, racial differences in having a doctor essentially disappear; and (4) While differences in having a regular doctor can be accounted for using measures of social connectedness, substantial and robust racial and gender differences in doctor use remain. In the end, we provide an analysis that examines typical factors known to influence health care use, and find that while need, structural factors, perceptions of care, and social connectedness have a powerful effect on doctor visits, the racial variation in using a doctor cannot be explained away with the available measures.