Social Isolation Measures Research Articles

The role of equanimity in mediating the relationship between psychological distress and social isolation during COVID-19

BackgroundSocial isolation and the impact on mental health is a major concern during COVID-19. Trait equanimity is expected to protect individuals from psychological distress associated with social isolation. The aim of this study is to examine the link between social isolation and psychological distress via the mediator equanimity. It was hypothesised that objective (few social contacts) and perceived social isolation (loneliness) would predict psychological distress and that equanimity would mediate these relationships. MethodsFive hundred and seventy-eight adult United States participants were recruited and completed measures of objective social isolation and perceived social isolation (De Jong Gierveld Social Isolation scale), trait equanimity (Phenomenological Experience of Meditative Equanimity Scale), and psychological distress (Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale, Short Form, DASS-21). ResultsObjective social isolation negatively predicted psychological distress, but equanimity did not mediate this relationship. Perceived social isolation positively predicted psychological distress and equanimity mediated this relationship. LimitationsThis study is limited by its cross-sectional and self-report design and by a United States sample, which may affect the generalisability of findings. ConclusionsRather than a lack of social contact it is the “perceived” nature of isolation that is related to psychological distress and this relationship indirectly operates through trait equanimity. Individuals high in trait equanimity may be better protected from the impact of perceived social isolation. Clinical interventions can be adapted to include equanimity skills to mitigate perceived social isolation for individuals and reduce adverse outcomes.

Using Family Resources as a Coping Strategy to Manage Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This paper draws on the resiliency model of family stress, adjustment and adaptation and explores the use of family resources as a coping strategy to manage stress during the COVID-19 pandemic in a subset of Kuwaiti women. A mixed methods research design was used for collecting, analysing and integrating survey and interview data, The most common stressors were social isolation, quarantine and lockdown measures, fear of contagion, increased workload, and fear of shortage of basic needs. The results showed that the Kuwaiti women adopted strategies to cope with stress on three levels: macro-social, relationship, and personal. Quantitative results indicate a significant difference in coping styles between married and unmarried women, especially with regard to positive reframing and passive appraisal. The interviews yielded important new insights such as the important role of social relationships and social support, religious beliefs, personal attitude (active coping) negative emotions (passive coping), and family socialisation and togetherness. Findings also suggest that social support as well as family cohesion and hardiness contributed to increased stress resiliency. This study makes a significant contribution to literature as little research has examined the use of family resources to cope with stress during the pandemic. Key words: family stress, resilience, family resources, coping strategies, women and COVID-19, pandemic, family crisis oriented personal evaluation scale.

Construct a Knowledge Graph for China Coronavirus (COVID-19) Patient Information Tracking.

Since first outbreak of respiratory disease in China, the Coronavirus epidemic (COVID-19) spread on a large scale, causing huge losses to individuals, families, communities and society in the country. The conventional research on the transmission process is basically to study the law or trend of the transmission of infectious diseases from a macro perspective. For in-depth study of the critical data of the newly confirmed patients, one effective way to improve the social isolation measures requires the formation of an organized tracking knowledge system for the confirmed patients and the personnel who have been removed, and the deep data mining and application. Knowledge graph (KG) is one of the irreplaceable techniques to quickly gather patient contact information and outbreak event, which reflecting the relationship between knowledge evolution and structure of novel Coronavirus. Therefore, this paper proposes a method for the analysis of COVID-19 epidemic situation using knowledge graph combined with interactive visual analysis. Firstly, based on the key factors of novel Coronavirus disease, the entity model of the patient, the relationship type of the patient and the expression of knowledge modeling were proposed, and the knowledge graph of the action track of the COVID-19 patient was deeply explored and comparative summarized. Secondly, in the process of constructing knowledge graph, conditional random field (CRF) algorithm is used to extract entity and knowledge. Meanwhile, to better analyze the disease relationship between patients, the semantic relationship of knowledge graph was combined with the visualization of knowledge graph, and the semantic model was verified by deep learning calculation and node attribute similarity. To discover the community detection of patients in the patient knowledge graph, this paper uses PageRank combined with Label propagation algorithms to discover community propagation in the network. Finally, COVID-19 epidemic situation was analyzed from confirmed patient data and multi-view collaborative interactions, such as map distribution visualization, knowledge graph visualization, and track visualization. The results show that the construction of a knowledge graph of COVID-19 patient activity is feasible for the transmission process, analysis of key nodes and tracing of activity tracks.

The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) coronavirus pandemic: current situation and implications for Mexico.

The Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) is one of the most devastating in this century. It originated in China in December 2019 caused by the SARS-Cov-2 virus, and in less than a month it had been classified as an "International Public Health Emergency". To date there are nearly 3 million people infected and more than 250,000 deaths caused by the disease worldwide. Initially it affects the respiratory tract with atypical pneumonia and in severe cases it produces systemic inflammation with cytokine storm that can cause rapid deterioration with circulatory and respiratory failure, coagulopathy and a lethality rate of approximately 7%. In Mexico, the first case was detected in February 2020, and to date there are 26,616 confirmed cases and 2,961 deaths throughout the country. The low number of diagnostic tests conducted in our country clearly underestimates the real incidence and impact of the disease. The most affected groups are those with risk factors such as age over 60, presence of hypertension, diabetes or cardiovascular disease. Of the confirmed cases, 15% are healthcare workers. There is no specific treatment or vaccine yet, so it is important to have hygiene, social isolation and personal protection measures. Health, social and economic consequences could have great impact in the near future.

Review of Sleep Problems Related to Social Distancing and Home Confinement During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Since the first outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in December 2019, we have experienced many changes that we have never experienced before. Governments around the world have instituted various forms of social isolation measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. These measures include social distancing, home confinement, quarantine, and lockdown. Unfortunately, these measures have increased the ambiguity of the economic situation and the uncertainty regarding the future. For many individuals, these actions resulted in changes in routines at home, school, and work; changes in roles at home, mental health, and physical activity; and changes in circadian cues. All of these alterations resulted in disruptions in sleep patterns and sleep difficulties. In this paper, the alterations in sleep patterns and the sleep difficulties related to social isolation policies would be reviewed. These include social distancing and home confinement. Finally, methods to improve sleep problems also reviewed.

A EXPOSIÇÃO DA DESIGUALDADE SOCIAL FE ITA PELA PANDEMIA DA COVID 19

The scope of the present is based on analyzing the consequences of public health and social well being with the spread of the COVID 19 pandemic. As is the consequence, the pandemic health crisis of the coronavirus produced a series of consequences in the most diverse social segments, calling into check the established models and challenging governments, with a special focus on the Brazilian reality, to rethink structures. In this respect, due to the need for social isolation measures, the repercussions of w hich still have repercussions to this day, the most vulnerable families have been impacted, nodwith to access to the most fundamental and inseparable needs of human development itself and the dignity of the human person, as the main foundation of the natio nal legal system. In methodological terms, the research opted for the use of the deductive scientific method and was based on the literature review under the systematic format and on the analysis of secondary data as research techniques. About the approach, the research presents itself as quali quantitative.

Effects of the COVID-19 Mitigation Measures on Alcohol Consumption and Binge Drinking in College Students: A Longitudinal Survey.

To “flatten the curve” of COVID-19 contagion, several countries ordered lockdowns amid the pandemic along with indications on social distancing. These social isolation measures could potentially bring alterations to healthy behavior, including to alcohol consumption. However, there is hardly any scientific evidence of the impact of such measures on alcohol consumption and binge drinking (BD) among young adults, and how they relate to alcohol craving, stress, anxiety, and depression levels. We addressed these questions by conducting a longitudinal study with 146 Portuguese college students—regular binge drinkers (regular BDs), infrequent binge drinkers (infrequent BDs) and non-binge drinkers (non-BDs)—in three moments: before the pandemic (Pre-Lockdown), during lockdown (Lockdown) and 6 months after (Post-Lockdown). Results revealed that regular BDs decreased alcohol use during Lockdown, a change in behavior that was even greater during Post-Lockdown, when regular BDs displayed similar levels of consumption to infrequent/non-BDs. Additionally, alcohol craving and living with friends were predictive of alcohol use during Lockdown, whereas stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms did not contribute to explain changes in drinking behavior. Collectively, the results suggest that BD in young Portuguese college students can be stopped when the contexts in which alcohol intake usually takes place are suppressed, which may have important implications for future prevention and intervention strategies.

The impact of Covid-19 on unemployment across Italy: Consequences for those affected by psychiatric conditions

BackgroundSevere psychological and psychosocial consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic are expected, especially for people already vulnerable to biological or psychosocial stressors, including those with mental health problems. The study aimed to investigate factors associated with the loss of jobs and unemployment during the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, we investigated whether mental illness was associated with a higher risk of losing one's job because of the COVID-19 pandemic. MethodsNineteen thousand four hundred ninety-six adults living in Italy were administered an online protocol including a sociodemographic checklist and questionnaires investigating suicide ideation and risk, mental health status and general distress (stress, anxiety, and depression), resilience, and perceived support. ResultsOne thousand two hundred seventy-four reported having lost their job because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and 5.4% of the sample reported a mental illness (mostly a depressive disorder). Unemployment was independently associated with mental illness, poor mental health, and depression. Mental illness was associated with the risk of losing one's job because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but not at the multivariate analyses. Those who lost their job because of the COVID-19 pandemic (compared to others) reported worse mental health and depression. LimitationsThe presence of mental illness was self-reported by respondents and the administered measures were self-reported questionnaires affected by social desirability and other response bias. ConclusionsThe COVID-19 pandemic and social isolation measures and lockdown used to contain its spread among the Italian population were associated with occupational insecurity, especially among the more vulnerable social categories.

Cumulative Risk Exposure and Social Isolation as Correlates of Carer and Child Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Online Study with Families from Various Europeans Countries.

This study adopted a cumulative risk approach to examine the relations between various domains of risk factors (i.e., social isolation and home confinement, other pandemic-related risk factors, and pre-existing psychosocial risk factors) and carers’ and children’s mental health during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe. The sample consisted of 1475 carers of 6- to 16-year-old children and adolescents residing in five European countries (Portugal, United Kingdom, Romania, Spain, and The Netherlands) who completed an online survey. The results showed that each of the three domains of adversity accounted for unique variation in carers’ and children’s mental health outcomes. Also, the results indicated that pre-existing psychosocial risk factors moderated the relationship between pandemic-related risk factors and children and carers’ anxiety and between social isolation and confinement and carers’ well-being. Simple slopes analysis suggested a stronger relationship between these domains of adversities and mental health outcomes in already more vulnerable families. It is important to consider the implications of social isolation measures and confinement for families’ mental health, paying special attention to families with pre-existing psychosocial vulnerabilities.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10578-021-01233-3.

A cross-sectional questionnaire study in a phototherapy unit during COVID-19.

BackgroundIn March 2020, social isolation measures were imposed in Brazil to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), requiring health services to implement contingency plans. The main objective of the study was to verify the status of the disease, self-reported by patients who discontinued phototherapy, during a period of social isolation.MethodsAll patients receiving phototherapy at the Santa Casa de Porto Alegre, Brazil, prior to the implementation of social distancing measures were eligible for inclusion in the study. 86 patients answered a questionnaire during a medical evaluation.Results95% of patients who stopped phototherapy reported a worsening of disease status. Only 19% of patients continued to attend phototherapy sessions during the social isolation period.ConclusionThe COVID-19 pandemic led most patients to stop phototherapy, resulting in the perception of increased disease severity in an outpatient sample in southern Brazil.

Religious Coping Amidst a Pandemic: Impact on COVID-19-Related Anxiety

Religious coping is one potential strategy to manage stressors. Positive religious coping has been linked to better physical and mental health outcomes, while negative religious coping has been associated with increased stress and anxiety. The primary objective of this study was to examine individuals’ use of religious coping during the COVID-19 pandemic. We examined the relationship between COVID-19 anxiety and religious coping in a national sample of 970 individuals located within the USA recruited via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk) between September 12, 2020, and September 25, 2020. Findings indicate negative religious coping is most strongly associated with COVID-19 anxiety, as higher levels of negative religious coping were positively related to COVID-19 anxiety. In a moderated multiple regression wherein positive religious coping and negative religious coping were included in an interaction term, only negative religious coping was significantly associated with COVID-19 anxiety. This may have been due, in part, because individual’s typical religious engagement was disrupted by social distancing and isolation measures. When accounting for participant age, sex, religious beliefs and behaviors, and negative religious coping, positive religious coping was negatively, although weakly, associated with COVID-19 anxiety. These findings suggest that negative religious coping has a stronger association with COVID-19 anxiety than positive religious coping.

Looking into Pandora's Box between "Everything" and "But" -Depression, Pain of Losses the Next Pandemic of Humanity?

This Article seeks to give an overview of how the pandemic has affected society throughout this period, which can be a source of many mental health problems. As in the Spanish influenza pandemic, the COVID-19 pandemic and the imposition of measures of social separation, isolation and limitation of contact with other people were, and are still, a major stress factor. The stress associated with this period disrupted the functioning of people both individually and socially, being the main factor of the phenomenon called compensation. Under the current circumstances, people have a predisposition for emotional disorders such as: Anxiety, depression, stress, insomnia, anger, Emotional depletion and including post-traumatic symptoms of disorder, according to recent studies by the Lancet analyzing the psychological effects of quarantine. The COVID-19 crisis has a wide range of effects on our mental and emotional health: From negative emotions with greater intensity and duration, such as anxiety and depression, to unfinished emotional mourning, linked both to the loss of loved ones and even to emotional and relational disconnection. Also, all that has happened in recent times makes us live in “collective pain” , we have lost our right to travel without restrictions or the freedom to participate in sad events or family and community joy, we have lost family or friends. In many cases of these losses, the strands of the dollar are also being cut, which is why people need additional support. We need to find solutions to this, because we have to deal with the natural grief caused by human disappearance, as we know it, but also an isolation characteristic of the suffering process that now overlaps the physical isolation imposed by the epidemic. Another important aspect is to prevent instability in the psycho-social element of the human Community. It is clear that there is a need to impose safety measures both jointly and individually. Psychological aspects should be addressed early, so that measures can be taken to reduce the psychological costs of pandemic, perceived isolation and to address uncertainties that can give rise to anxiety and depression. Addressing psychological issues has effects not only in the short term, motivating adherence to pandemic measures, but also in the long term, through lower incidence of post-traumatic stress, anxiety, depression, substance abuse, etc. The fastest change expected after this crisis will be the individual one, each crisis is a chance for every person to look further.

What makes Dutch youth comply with preventive COVID-19 measures? An explorative study.

The measures to contain the spread of COVID‐19 are challenging for youth, especially the social isolation measures. These measures are antagonistic to healthy youth development, which requires sufficient social contact with peers and adults. This explorative study examined what factors are associated with adherence to COVID‐19 measures in a sample of Dutch youth (N = 263; 79.8% female) with ages ranging between 16 and 24 years (M = 21.1 years; SD = 2.44 years), who completed an online questionnaire about their compliance to measures, resilience, coping strategies, mental health, and availability of a natural mentor. Results showed that youth with fewer depressive symptoms adhered better to measures of social distance. Youth who were less suspicious, more resilient, and those with an active coping strategy or a natural mentor more often complied with COVID‐19 measures. These results can be used to help youth comply with the COVID‐19 measures.

A Study on COVID-19 Incidence in Europe through Two SEIR Epidemic Models Which Consider Mixed Contagions from Asymptomatic and Symptomatic Individuals

The impact of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) on the world has been partially controlled through different measures of social isolation and prophylaxis. Two new SEIR (Susceptible-Exposed-Infected-Recovered) models are proposed in order to describe this spread through different countries of Europe. In both models the infectivity of the asymptomatic period during the exposed stage of the disease will be taken into account. The different transmission rates of the SEIR models are calculated by considering the different locations and, more importantly, the lockdown measures implemented in each region. A new classification of these intervention measures will be set and their influence on the values of the transmission rates will be estimated through regression analysis.

Psychological distress of COVID-19 pandemic and associated psychosocial factors among Mexican students: An exploratory study.

COVID‐19 related social isolation measures and school closures have likely increased students' stress levels. In our study, we assess the level of psychological distress and psychosocial factors among students in Mexico at the beginning of the pandemic. We conducted a cross‐sectional exploratory study with 848 participants, the majority undergraduate or postgraduate (79.7%). Participants completed the Impact of Event Scale‐Revised to measure emotions, and a COVID‐19 questionnaire. We conducted a logistic regression analysis to find variables associated with stress: 36% (n = 309) had elevated stress, 31.4% (n = 266) anxiety, and 18.2% (n = 154) sadness often or all the time. Those who identified as women and reported a reduction in their incomes also reported a higher stress level. Stress was positively correlated with anxiety, anger, sadness, days in isolation, and hours watching TV daily; and negatively correlated with relaxation and happiness. The variable most strongly correlated with stress was a high perception of infection risk. Our findings will inform mental health strategies for students who are at higher risk of stress due to the COVID‐19 pandemic response.

Stroke Survivors Experience Elevated Levels of Loneliness: A Multi-Year Analysis of the National Survey for Wales.

ObjectiveDespite clinical observation that stroke survivors frequently experience loneliness, there is no large-scale empirical evidence to support this observation. Therefore, the primary objective of this research was to provide the first large-scale and comprehensive estimate of loneliness in the stroke survivor population.MethodTo address this issue, we completed two preregistered analyses of a nationally representative annual survey (N > 21,000). A two-phase approach was adopted combining both exploratory (Study 1) and confirmatory (Study 2) phases. The benefit of such an approach is that replication is built into the design, which considerably strengthens the inferences that can be made.ResultsAcross two separate cohorts, the results consistently showed that human stroke survivors report higher levels of loneliness compared with healthy individuals, and this relationship could not be accounted for by demographic factors (e.g., age, sex) or objective measures of social isolation (e.g., marital status, number of household members).ConclusionsThese findings demonstrate that elevated levels of loneliness poststroke are robust in that they replicate in large nationally representative samples and cannot be reduced to objective measures of social isolation. The work has clinical and societal relevance by suggesting that loneliness poststroke is unlikely to be adequately “treated” if only the quantity and not the quality of social experiences are considered.

Monitoring beliefs and physiological measures in students at risk for COVID-19 using wearable sensors and smartphone technology: Protocol for a mobile health study.

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted lives and greatly affected the mental health and public safety of an already vulnerable population—college students. Social distancing and isolation measures have presented challenges to students’ mental health. mHealth apps and wearable sensors may help monitor students at risk of COVID-19 and support their mental well-being.ObjectiveThis study aimed to monitor students at risk of COVID-19 by using a wearable sensor and a smartphone-based survey.MethodsWe conducted a prospective study on undergraduate and graduate students at a public university in the Midwest United States. Students were instructed to download the Fitbit, Social Rhythms, and Roadmap 2.0 apps onto their personal smartphone devices (Android or iOS). Subjects consented to provide up to 10 saliva samples during the study period. Surveys were administered through the Roadmap 2.0 app at five timepoints: at baseline, 1 month later, 2 months later, 3 months later, and at study completion. The surveys gathered information regarding demographics, COVID-19 diagnoses and symptoms, and mental health resilience, with the aim of documenting the impact of COVID-19 on the college student population.ResultsThis study enrolled 2158 college students between September 2020 and January 2021. Subjects are currently being followed-up for 1 academic year. Data collection and analysis are currently underway.ConclusionsThis study examined student health and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic and assessed the feasibility of using a wearable sensor and a survey in a college student population, which may inform the role of our mHealth tools in assessing student health and well-being. Finally, using data derived from a wearable sensor, biospecimen collection, and self-reported COVID-19 diagnosis, our results may provide key data toward the development of a model for the early prediction and detection of COVID-19.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT04766788; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04766788International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/29561

Social isolation after acquired brain injury: Exploring the relationship between network size, functional support, loneliness and mental health

ABSTRACT Social isolation can be a consequence of acquired brain injury (ABI). Few studies have examined the relationship between social isolation and mental health after ABI. In this cross-sectional and case-control study, we compared 51 ABI survivors and 51 matched healthy controls on measures of social isolation (network size, social support and loneliness) mental health and mental health problems. We explored the relationship between structural, functional and subjective components of social isolation and examined whether they were associated with mental health outcomes. No group differences were found on size of the network and perceived social support. The ABI group exhibited marginally higher levels of loneliness. The ABI group presented higher levels of depression, lower levels of quality of life and emotional wellbeing. In both groups, perception of social support was inversely related to subjective experience of loneliness. The relationship between network size and loneliness was only significant in the ABI group. Only loneliness significantly predicted quality of life, emotional wellbeing, depression and anxiety in people with brain injury. The relationship between social isolation variables in ABI is discussed, as well as the theoretical and clinical implications of focusing on loneliness to improve mental health after brain injury.

The link between social and emotional isolation and dementia in older black and white Brazilians.

To examine the link between social and emotional isolation and likelihood of dementia among older black and white Brazilians. Cross-sectional clinical-pathological cohort study. Medical center in Sao Paulo, Brazil. As part of the Pathology, Alzheimer's and Related Dementias Study, we conducted uniform structured interviews with knowledgeable informants (72% children) of 1,493 older (age > 65) Brazilian decedents. The interview included measures of social isolation (number of family and friends in at least monthly contact with decedent), emotional isolation (short form of UCLA Loneliness Scale), and major depression plus the informant portion of the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale to diagnose dementia and its precursor, mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Decedents had a median social network size of 8.0 (interquartile range = 9.0) and a median loneliness score of 0.0 (interquartile range = 1.0). On the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale, 947 persons had no cognitive impairment, 122 had MCI, and 424 had dementia. In a logistic regression model adjusted for age, education, sex, and race, both smaller network size (odds ratio [OR] = 0.975; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.962, 0.989) and higher loneliness (OR = 1.145; 95% CI: 1.060, 1.237) were associated with higher likelihood of dementia. These associations persisted after controlling for depression (present in 10.4%) and did not vary by race. After controlling for depression, neither network size nor loneliness was related to MCI. Social and emotional isolation are associated with higher likelihood of dementia in older black and white Brazilians.

Rapid spread of critical priority carbapenemase-producing pathogens in companion animals: a One Health challenge for a post-pandemic world.

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased relationships and interactions between human and companion animals, supported by widespread social distancing and isolation measures. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to an exponential growth in antibiotic and biocide use worldwide, possibly inducing further pressure, contributing to the selection of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, including WHO critical priority pathogens. While data from global surveillance studies reveal a linear trend of increasing carbapenem resistance among Gram-negative pathogens from companion animals, the acquisition of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales through direct contact with colonized hosts and contaminated veterinary hospital environments has been documented. This article highlights the rapid spread of WHO critical priority carbapenemase-producing pathogens in companion animals, which is a One Health challenge for a post-pandemic world.