In-person Social Contacts Research Articles

Protein signatures associated with loneliness and social isolation: Plasma proteome analyses in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, with causal evidence from Mendelian randomization

IntroductionThe understanding of biological pathways related to loneliness and social isolation remains incomplete. Cutting-edge population-based proteomics offers opportunities to uncover novel biological pathways linked to social deficits. MethodsThis study employed a proteome-wide and data-driven approach to estimate the cross-sectional associations between objective measures of social connections (i.e., social isolation) and subjective measures (i.e., loneliness) with protein abundance, using the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. ResultsGreater social isolation was associated with higher levels of 11 proteins (TNFRSF10A, MMP12, TRAIL-R2, SKR3, TNFRSF11A, VSIG2, PRSS8, FGFR2, KIM1, REN, and NEFL) after minimal adjustments; and three proteins were significantly associated after full adjustments (TNFRSF10A, TNFRSF11A, and HAOX1). Findings from two-sample Mendelian randomization indicated that a lower frequency of in-person social contact with friends or family causally increased levels of TNFRSF10A, TRAIL-R2, TNFRSF11A, and KIM1, and decreased the level of NEFL. The study also highlighted several enriched biological pathways, including necrosis and cell death regulation, dimerization of procaspase-8, and inhibition of caspase-8 pathways, which have previously not been linked to social deficits. ConclusionThese findings could help explain the relationship between social deficits and disease, confirming the importance of continuing to explore novel biological pathways associated with social deficits.

Quiet Pandemic Amid COVID-19: A literature review on gamification for mental health

Background: COVID-19 affects individuals both physically and mentally. The key is to address emerging needs with a modest technique that helps boost the positive approach in individuals. Gamification offers attempts to engage users with the non-game approach, and its growing popularity in other fields, such as finance and retail, is evident. Objective: This research aims to study the available literature that analyzes and understands using the Gamification approach for mental health in the pandemic. Methods: The author performed a systematic literature review using the PRISMA technique among the selected articles published until Jul 2023, focusing on Gamification, mental health, and COVID in highly reputed record databases, which were peer-reviewed studies. Therefore, the studies using the standard international language of English were eligible for this Study. Results: The Study identified elevated articles exploring Gamification through mobile application software, web-based platforms, and other tools since COVID-19 limited in-person social contact for individual safety during peak time. Conclusion: There are limited studies of Gamification in mental health, and the existing studies suggest that Gamification supports the betterment of mental health. Future studies can explore the different areas of mental health with gamification-based applications or gamified approaches.

Homeworking experiences of neuro-divergent workers: systematic review.

Working from home (WFH) is becoming more common, but little is known about how it specifically affects neuro-divergent workers' psychological and occupational well-being. This review aimed to explore the experiences of neuro-divergent staff WFH, including the challenges they face; the potential benefits of homeworking for this specific population and the support systems they require. We searched six electronic databases, as well as reference lists of included papers, one preprint server and Google, for literature on neuro-divergent workers' experiences of WFH. Results were synthesized using thematic analysis. We reviewed 25 studies (mostly based on data collected during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic), finding very little research statistically analysing the impact of WFH on well-being or productivity, or comparing the impact of WFH across neuro-divergent and neuro-typical populations. The (mostly qualitative) findings showed that neuro-divergent participants described various benefits and challenges of the sensory environment at home; the reduction of commuting; increased flexibility and lack of routine when homeworking; the reduction of 'masking' behaviours; lack of in-person social contact and increased use of technology. The findings emphasize the importance of not assuming a one-size-fits-all approach to homeworking and suggest managers should be mindful of workers' individual preferences for working whilst ensuring that all employees are appropriately supported. The results can inform future research and provide insights for employers to help them create more inclusive work environments.

Protein signatures associated with loneliness and social isolation: plasma proteome analyses in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, with causal evidence from Mendelian randomization.

The understanding of biological pathways related to loneliness and social isolation remains incomplete. Cutting-edge population-based proteomics offers opportunities to uncover novel biological pathways linked to social deficits. This study employed a proteome-wide and data-driven approach to estimate the cross-sectional associations between objective measures of social connections (i.e., social isolation) and subjective measures (i.e., loneliness) with protein abundance, using the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Greater social isolation was associated with higher levels of 11 proteins (TNFRSF10A, MMP12, TRAIL-R2, SKR3, TNFRSF11A, VSIG2, PRSS8, FGFR2, KIM1, REN, and NEFL) after minimal adjustments; and three proteins were significantly associated after full adjustments (TNFRSF10A, TNFRSF11A, and HAOX1). Findings from two-sample Mendelian randomization indicated that a lower frequency of in-person social contact with friends or family causally increased levels of TNFRSF10A, TRAIL-R2, TNFRSF11A, and KIM1, and decreased the level of NEFL. The study also highlighted several enriched biological pathways, including necrosis and cell death regulation, dimerization of procaspase-8, and inhibition of caspase-8 pathways, which have previously not been linked to social deficits. These findings could help explain the relationship between social deficits and disease, confirming the importance of continuing to explore novel biological pathways associated with social deficits.

Cross-sectional analysis reveals COVID-19 pandemic community lockdown was linked to dysregulated cortisol and salivary alpha amylase in children.

The COVID-19 pandemic altered everyday life starting in March 2020. These alterations extended to the lives of children as their normal routines were disrupted by community lockdowns, online learning, limited in-person social contact, increased screen time, and reduced physical activity. Considerable research has investigated the physical health impact of COVID-19 infection, but far fewer studies have investigated the physiological impact of stressful pandemic-related changes to daily life, especially in children. The purpose of this study was to leverage an ongoing clinical trial to investigate physiological consequences associated with chronic stress of pandemic community lockdown on children. As a part of the clinical trial, children provided saliva samples. Saliva samples were analyzed for cortisol and salivary alpha amylase (sAA) content. This secondary cross-sectional analysis included 94 preadolescent children located within the Greater Boston, Massachusetts community. Children participated in the study either before, during, or following the pandemic community lockdown to form three groups for comparison. In response to chronic stress caused by the pandemic community lockdown, participants demonstrated dysregulation of fast-acting catecholamine response of the locus-coeruleus-norepinephrine system and slower-acting glucocorticoid response, resulting in an asymmetrical relationship of hypocortisolism (M = 0.78 ± 0.19 μg/mL, p < 0.001) paired with higher sAA (M = 12.73 ± 4.06 U/mL, p = 0.01). Results suggest that the abrupt COVID-19 disruption to daily life, including the stressful experience of community lockdown, had physiological effects on typically developing children. Further research is required to investigate mental health outcomes of children following the chronic stress of the pandemic community lockdown.

The relationship between cryptomarket drug purchase, social networks and adverse drug events: A cross-sectional study

IntroductionDrug use and trading are typically social activities; however, supply through cryptomarkets can occur without any in-person social contact. People who use drugs alone may be at higher risk of experiencing harms, for example, due to lack of others who may call for emergency assistance. Alternatively, cryptomarkets may be a source of harm reduction information and drugs with better-known content and dose, potentially reducing the risk of adverse events. This study examines relationships between cryptomarket use, drug-using social networks and adverse drug events for MDMA, cocaine and LSD. MethodA subsample of 23,053 respondents from over 70 countries was collected in the 2018 Global Drug Survey. People who reported using MDMA, cocaine or LSD were asked about using cryptomarkets to purchase these drugs; any adverse drug events requiring medical treatment (combining seeking treatment and should have sought treatment but did not); and social networks who they had used the specific drug with. All measures referred to the last 12 months, hereon referred to as ‘recent’. Binary logistic regressions examined relationships between cryptomarket use, drug-using social networks, and adverse drug events, controlling for age, gender, and frequency of drug use. ResultsAdverse events from any drug type were low (5.2%) and for each drug; MDMA (3.5%); cocaine (3.3%); and LSD (3.5%). After controlling for covariates, recent cryptomarket use was associated with increased likelihood of having no drug-using network for each drug type. People who recently used cryptomarkets were more likely to report adverse cocaine (AOR = 1.70 (1.22-2.37)) and LSD (AOR = 1.58 (1.12-2.09)) events. For those reporting a network size >1, network characteristics did not differ with recent cryptomarket use; however, those reporting recent cryptomarket use were more likely to report adverse LSD events (AOR = 1.86 (0.99-3.51)). ConclusionPeople who reported purchasing drugs from cryptomarkets more commonly reported having no drug-using network, and cryptomarket purchase was associated with reported adverse events. Our results support the notion that cryptomarket use increases drug-related harm, but further disentanglement of multiple complex mechanisms is needed in future research.

Walking alone: how movement in nature was used by older people in response to feelings of being alone during COVID-19

Humans are social beings. However, during the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic in the early months of 2020, it was officially recommended to reduce in-person social contact, especially among older adults. Simultaneously during the pandemic, outdoor activities became increasingly popular. However, research into the potential association between feelings of being alone and physical walks in nature is very limited. To examine the association between outdoor activities and reduced social contact, this study attempted to answer the following research questions: Do experiences from walks in nature influence unwanted feelings of being alone among older people, and if so, how? Six older adults were interviewed. Through Thematic Analysis four themes emerged: Enjoying the aesthetic beauty, being absorbed by nature, feeling the body, and moving on. These findings illustrate aspects of movement and exposure to nature, which may reduce unwanted feelings of being alone. This can be interpreted using theory on the synergistic effects between sensory perceptions and movement. The study finds that feelings of being alone is not only a reflection of the size of one’s social network but is affected by both mental and bodily processes, and that walks in nature may be used by some to combat social isolation, which many people experienced during COVID-19.

No Substitute for In-Person Interaction: Changing Modes of Social Contact during the Coronavirus Pandemic and Effects on the Mental Health of Adults in the UK

Life-course theories on how social relationships affect mental health are limited in causal claims. The restrictions in social contact during the coronavirus pandemic provided a natural experiment that modified the frequency of in-person contact and allowed us to estimate the effect of changes in in-person social contact frequency on mental health in four large nationally representative age-cohorts of adults living in the UK. There was consistent evidence of a small but statistically significant effect of less frequent social contact on anxiety-depression. Online modes of social contact did not compensate for the restrictions in in-person social contact during the pandemic. Young adults who increased their online social media frequency during the pandemic experienced a deterioration in mental health. Life-course theories cannot ignore the importance of the mode of social contact for social relationships, especially during young adulthood.

Well-Being of Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract: During the COVID-19 pandemic, implemented social distancing measures led to behavioral changes and decreased well-being in adolescents. The aim of this study was to examine the relation between daily behaviors (physical and sport activity, social contacts, screen time) and adolescent well-being. For this, we conducted a 28-day ambulatory assessment study. Daily data of 125 German adolescents (11–20 years) were collected every evening through self-report and analyzed with multilevel models. Between and within individuals, physical activity was positively related to well-being and screen time was negatively related to well-being. Social contacts were positively related to well-being within individuals. Explorative analyses revealed differences between sport activity contexts (sports club, leisure time, school), and between in-person and digital social contacts. Our findings suggest that physical activity and in-person social contacts are positively related to adolescent well-being and should, thus, be enabled during the pandemic. Furthermore, the role of screen time should be considered in health promotion.

Older adult communication types and emotional well-being outcomes during COVID-19 pandemic

Background:The rationale for the present study is a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, as there are fewer opportunities available for older adults to engage in face-to-face interaction and social activities, which may result in changes in the communication methods with their social contacts. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between methods of social connectedness and emotional well-being outcomes among older adults at the start of the pandemic.Methods:Two thousand five hundred and fifty-eight older adults Medicare beneficiaries (65 + years of age) in the National Health and Aging Trends Study at wave 10 (June 2020 to January 2021) were selected for cross-sectional analysis. Participants were measured on brief questionnaires regarding forms of communication with family and friends before and during the pandemic. Emotional well-being outcomes were measured on single items of sadness/depressed and loneliness; as well as a 6-item Likert scale of anxiety during the pandemic. Paired sample t-tests were utilized to examine the forms of communication between before and during pandemic. Hierarchical regressions were conducted to assess the relationship between forms of communication and emotional well-being outcomes.Results:We found that there were overall decreases in communication frequency during pandemic. Findings from regression analyses indicated information communication technology (ICT) are associated with negative emotional well-being outcomes, whereas in-person social contact are associated with lower levels of negative affect.Conclusion:These findings suggest utilizing higher levels of ICT has negative implications for older adults’ emotional well-being, contrasting with the positive implication of in-person contacts. These findings highlight the role of ICT in emotional well-being among older adults during pandemic.

The Protective Role of Social-Oriented Digital Media Use in Children’s and Adolescents’ Life Satisfaction During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Covid-19 measures have reduced children’s and adolescents’ life satisfaction (LS), a key indicator of well-being. However, we have limited evidence of the longitudinal associations between changes in LS and different types of digital media use throughout the pandemic. Using data collected in Ticino, Italian-speaking Switzerland from 764 children and adolescents (Mage = 12.51, SDage = 4.00, 52% females) over five months starting from September 2020, the current study investigated temporal variations in LS, and how process-oriented versus social-oriented digital media use predicted LS, controlling for socio-demographic variables. Results of the quadratic latent growth curve model showed a steeper decrease in LS at the beginning of the second wave of the pandemic in Autumn 2020. Process-oriented digital media use predicted lower starting levels (i.e., the intercept) of LS, whereas social-oriented digital media use acted as a protective factor against the initial decrement of LS (i.e., linear slope) and positively influenced the rate of change of LS (i.e., the quadratic slope), pointing towards a faster return to baseline levels. Females, adolescents, participants with low subjective socio-economic status, and non-Swiss participants reported lower levels of LS. Results suggest that when in-person social contacts are compromised, social-oriented use of digital technologies should be promoted in young people to obtain and maintain social contacts that are crucial for LS and their well-being. LS may be conceived as a predisposing condition to accumulate, preserve, and restore mental and social well-being, which, in turn, allow individuals to contribute to their community and society at large.

Intolerance of aloneness as a prospective predictor of suicidal ideation during COVID-19

Social distancing has been essential in mitigating the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Evidence regarding the impact of reduced social contact on mental health during the pandemic has been mixed, however, with studies suggesting that enduring personality traits and affect regulation impairments may together increase risk for suicidal distress during periods of lockdown. The present study utilized experience sampling and longitudinal follow-up methods to evaluate intolerance of aloneness (IA) as a predictor of suicidal ideation (SI) during the pandemic. A general adult sample (n=184) recruited online completed an 8-week experience sampling protocol via smartphone between April and September 2020. A subset of n=69 participants completed a follow-up assessment of SI six months after the initial study period. IA was associated with suicidal ideation both at baseline and prospectively during the experience sampling period. Individuals with greater IA were more likely to report SI in the short-term context of reduced daily in-person social contact. Higher IA at baseline furthermore prospectively predicted the occurrence of SI during the 6-month follow-up period. The sample was relatively homogenous in terms of demographic characteristics and excluded individuals with limited access to communication technology. While statistical models accounted for current mental health treatment status, other factors that were not assessed (such as adverse events or psychiatric symptoms in non-treatment-seeking subjects) may have contributed to the development of SI. Findings enhance understanding of how personality-based factors may contribute to suicide risk during periods of social distancing, informing both clinical treatment, risk assessment, and public health intervention approaches.

Micro-level social structures and the success of COVID-19 national policies.

Similar policies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in different success rates. Although many factors are responsible for the variances in policy success, our study shows that the micro-level structure of person-to-person interactions-measured by the average household size and in-person social contact rate-can be an important explanatory factor. To create an explainable model, we propose a network transformation algorithm to create a simple and computationally efficient scaled network based on these micro-level parameters, as well as incorporate national-level policy data in the network dynamic for SEIR simulations. The model was validated during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, which demonstrated that it can reproduce the dynamic ordinal ranking and trend of infected cases of various European countries that are sufficiently similar in terms of some socio-cultural factors. We also performed several counterfactual analyses to illustrate how policy-based scenario analysis can be performed rapidly and easily with these explainable models.

COVID-19 and tinnitus: an initiative to improve tinnitus care

Objective To investigate the effects of COVID-19 on individuals with tinnitus and their views to guide future tinnitus care. Design A mixed-methods cross-sectional research design. Study sample An online survey was completed by 365 individuals with tinnitus from Australia and other countries. Results Tinnitus was reported to be more bothersome during the pandemic by 36% of respondents, whereas 59% reported no change and 5% reported less bothersome tinnitus. Nearly half of the respondents had received COVID-19 vaccination(s) and 12% of them reported more bothersome tinnitus while 2% developed tinnitus post-vaccination. Australian respondents spent less time in self-isolation or quarantine and saw fewer change in in-person social contact than respondents from other countries. More than 70% of respondents thought that tinnitus care services were insufficient both before and during the pandemic. Regarding their opinions on how to improve tinnitus care in the future, five themes including alleviation of condition, government policies, reduced barriers, self- and public-awareness, and hearing devices were identified. Conclusions A majority of respondents did not perceive any change in tinnitus perception and one-third of respondents had worsened tinnitus during the pandemic. To improve tinnitus care, better awareness and more accessible resources and management are crucial.

Changing Relationships Between Social Contact, Social Support, and Depressive Symptoms During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

ObjectivesGiven the longstanding consensus that social contact can promote older adult well-being, many have focused on how social contact changed during the pandemic. Less is known, however, about whether the link between social contact and health changed during the pandemic. This study sought to understand how associations between social contact, social support, and depressive symptoms changed during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.MethodsData from 2 waves of the Health and Retirement Study were used. Respondents reported both virtual and in-person social contact, as well as perceived positive and negative social support. Path models were used to estimate relationships between social contact, social support, and depressive symptoms. Bootstrapping was used to estimate the change in associations between 2016 and 2020.ResultsEstimates show that associations between positive social support and depressive symptoms, as well as between in-person social contact and depressive symptoms, attenuated during the pandemic. Virtual social contact played a relatively minor role in determining outcomes such as social support and depressive symptoms, compared to in-person social contact.DiscussionFindings suggest that researchers and policymakers should not only focus on the changing quantity of social interactions when events such as the COVID-19 pandemic happen, but also the changing content and efficacy of the social interactions that remain.

Social Isolation and the Use of Technology in Caregiving Dyads Living With Dementia During COVID-19 Restrictions.

BackgroundPeople with dementia (PwD) and their informal caregivers (caregiving dyads) face multiple impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, including restricted social support services and social isolation. With limited opportunities for caregiving dyads to participate in social activities during the pandemic, the potential of social technology to support social participation and dyadic relationships should be explored. As a part of an ongoing feasibility trial, this study assesses how COVID-19 has impacted community-dwelling dyads in a dementia caregiving context. The dyads' use of social technology and their motivations to invite technology into social interactions are explored.MethodsA pilot case study employing baseline interview data from three community-dwelling caregiving dyads. Each dyad consisted of a husband with a dementia diagnosis and his wife, who performed most caregiving tasks. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and subjected to inductive thematic analysis. Two researchers independently coded the data, and collated the codes and themes collaboratively.ResultsTwo themes and seven subthemes were identified: (i) living with dementia during COVID-19 (subthemes: social and leisure activities, dyadic interactions, adjusting as caregiver); and (ii) the role of technology in a pandemic (subthemes: facilitating social activities, facilitating dementia care-related activities, barriers and facilitators to using social technology, the underlying motivation to invite technology into interactions). Dyads who were socially active pre-COVID-19, and who managed to make good use of technology to facilitate and maintain their social engagement during COVID-19, reported to have been less negatively impacted by COVID-related social restrictions.ConclusionThe dyads differed in how COVID-19 restrictions impacted their lives and how they coped with dementia, revealing different motivations for wanting to invite technology into their social interactions. During and beyond this pandemic, social technology can be a valuable tool for promoting social participation in this population, especially when in-person social contact is restricted. Successful uptake of social technology is dependent on customizing it to the individual's needs and conditions. Therefore, efforts are needed to tackle barriers that exist for older adults in using such technology.

The Lonely Brain - Associations Between Social Isolation and (Cerebro-) Vascular Disease From the Perspective of Social Neuroscience.

The current COVID-19 pandemic led to a considerable reduction in in-person social contacts all over the world. In most individuals, reduced social contacts lead to the perception of social isolation causing feelings of loneliness, which are experienced as stressful. Experiencing social distress due to actual or perceived social isolation has been associated with negative health outcomes such as depression, (cerebro-) vascular disease and mortality. Concrete mechanisms behind this association are still a matter of debate. A group of researchers around Hugo Critchley with special contributions of Sarah Garfinkel and Lisa Quadt proposes a framework for the underlying brain-body interactions including elements from models of social homeostasis and interoceptive predictive processing that provides important insights and testable pathways. While in a previous publication, we reviewed literature on the observed association between social isolation and stroke and coronary heart disease, we now extent this review by presenting a comprehensive model to explain underlying pathomechanisms from the perspective of social neuroscience. Further, we discuss how neurodivergent people, e.g. autistic individuals or persons with attention deficit disorders, might differ in these pathomechanisms and why they are especially vulnerable to social isolation. Finally, we discuss clinical implications for the prevention and therapy of (cerebro-) vascular diseases.

Perceived impact of the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic on Malaysian medical students: A descriptive, cross-sectional study

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused an unprecedented disruption in the lives of students and health care systems worldwide. Objectives: The study explored the impact of the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic among medical students in Malaysia. Methods: An online, cross-sectional survey was conducted among 397 medical students using Google forms circulated on social networking sites, like WhatsApp. Data were collected on self-reported anxiety and preventive health behaviors, challenges faced in daily activities, perception of e-learning, and changes in social and personal relationships. Results: As compared to before the advent of the pandemic, 83% of the students were more nervous and anxious, 38% washed their hands more often, and 43% bought more cleaning and hygiene supplies during the pandemic. Forty-two percent of the respondents went out less often, and 73% had lesser in-person social contact with their friends. The majority of students practiced a sedentary lifestyle; 47% snacked more often, and 58% had lesser physical activity. Conclusion: This study emphasizes the role of the provision of emotional support and strategies to enhance the well-being of medical students.

Multi-Year Spatial Variability of the Impact of Sociodemographic, Behavioural, and Health Factors on Depression of Older Adults

Abstract. The mental health of older adults has become a critical issue with the rising suicide rate in older adults in South Korea. Various factors related to depression can make heterogeneous impacts in different regions. Yet, such spatial perspectives have been rarely integrated with the mental health studies in South Korea. This study aims to explore 1) how differently each factor of sociodemographic characteristics, social interactions, and health-related behaviors is associated with depression of older adults throughout different regions in South Korea, and 2) how those relationships change across five survey years (2008–2016) for a long term. Spatially local regression and small-multiple map visualization were applied to analyze a longitudinal panel survey dataset named KLoSA, collected in South Korea. It is found that age, marital status, in-person social contact frequency, and perceived physical health are significantly correlated with depression in more regions than other variables. The local regression coefficients and significance vary by region and year.

Connection, constraint, and coping: A qualitative study of experiences of loneliness during the COVID-19 lockdown in the UK.

The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated physical distancing which is expected to continue in some form for the foreseeable future. Physical distancing policies have increased reliance on digital forms of social connection and there are widespread concerns about social isolation and mental health in this context. This qualitative study sought to understand how loneliness was experienced during physical distancing in the initial national UK COVID-19 lockdown. Eight individuals who reported feeling lonely during the initial lockdown were interviewed in May 2020. Interviews were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Four main themes were identified: (1) Loss of in-person interaction causing loneliness, (2) Constrained freedom, (3) Challenging emotions, and (4) Coping with loneliness. The loss of in-person interaction contributed to feelings of loneliness and digital interaction was viewed as an insufficient alternative. Social freedom could be constrained by distancing policies and by social contacts, contributing to strained personal relationships and feelings of frustration as part of loneliness. Fluctuations in mood and difficult emotions were experienced alongside loneliness, and distraction and seeking reconnection were commonly reported methods of coping, although they were less accessible. These findings indicate that physical distancing measures can impact loneliness due to the limitations they impose on in-person social contact and the perceived insufficiency of digital contact as a substitute.