Social Decline Research Articles

Right hemisphere stroke is linked to reduced social connectedness in the UK Biobank cohort

Social connectedness is fundamental to health and life satisfaction. Empathic capacities that support social connections are commonly impaired following damage to the brain’s right hemisphere, but how these acquired socio-emotional deficits correspond to real-world social outcomes remains unclear. Using anatomical brain imaging and behavioral data from a large sample of stroke survivors included in the UK Biobank (n = 209), we link damage to regions of the right hemisphere involved in emotion recognition to lower social relationship satisfaction and higher loneliness. The effect was driven by lesions to the right anterior insula and not explained by stroke extent and motor function; it was further corroborated by an exploratory analysis of social decline in a few participants for whom data were available from before and after a stroke to the right anterior insula (n = 3; comparison n = 13). These correlational findings provide new insight into the role of the right hemisphere in maintaining social connections and bear important implications for treatment and rehabilitation post-stroke.

Evaluating Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Long COVID: A Case Series.

To describe the immediate clinical outcomes of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in treating long COVID symptoms. Long COVID currently impacts approximately 5.3% of US adults, presenting with persistent fatigue, depression, anxiety, cognitive impairments, and social function decline. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex has improved these symptoms in some studies. Five patients (ages 52-63 years, 3 female patients) underwent accelerated rTMS using intermittent theta burst stimulation (600 pulses over 3 minutes 20 seconds, 80%-120% of resting motor threshold) to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. The treatment consisted of twice-daily sessions over 20-30 treatments. Outcomes were measured using the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement and Information System (PROMIS) questionnaires, assessing fatigue, depression, anxiety, cognitive function, and social function at baseline and immediately posttreatment. One patient discontinued immediately due to intolerable scalp pain. Posttreatment PROMIS scores showed the following: fatigue decreased from 74.5 to 61.8, depression from 60.3 to 51.5, and anxiety from 62.0 to 54.0. Scores increased for cognitive (26.8 to 32.3) and social (31.0 to 32.5) function. These changes, although not statistically significant, indicate a trend toward symptom reduction. Subjectively, 3 of 4 patients who completed the rTMS course reported improvements. This case series suggests that rTMS may offer symptomatic relief in long COVID patients. Although the observed improvements in PROMIS were not statistically significant, even minimal improvements are clinically significant for patients enduring prolonged suffering. These preliminary findings are encouraging and underscore the need for further research with larger cohorts to validate the efficacy of rTMS in long COVID symptom relief.

The “vast gilded void” of Leisure: Energy and Work in The House of Mirth

Abstract Inspired by energy humanities, this article frames The House of Mirth (1905) as a novel with deep understanding of energy and labor. This article analyzes how Wharton effectively borrows from thermodynamic theories like entropy and inertia to juxtapose Lily Bart’s precarity with the elite. Against this inert milieu backdrop, Lily stands out as an energetic, if exhausted, worker. Reframed, her social status decline is a depletion of energy resulting from gendered labor. This highlights Wharton’s effective critique as her literalization of the effects of oppressive forces through work terminology and energy metaphors that portray the embodied, physic, exhaustive effects of exploitative conditions.

Pre-COVID-19 cognitive social capital trajectories and peri-COVID-19 depression in China, 2014–2020: A longitudinal study

BackgroundSocial capital is dynamic; however, little is known about the association of its dynamics with peri-pandemic health. We examined the longitudinal association of pre-COVID-19 cognitive social capital trajectories with peri-COVID-19 depressive symptoms and the moderating effect of province-level COVID-19 severity on the association in China. MethodsWe employed four-wave data from China Family Panel Studies between 2014 and 2020. Depressive symptoms in 2020 were measured by the 8-item Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale. Pre-COVID-19 cognitive social capital from 2014 to 2018 included dichotomized (high/low) generalized trust, trust in neighbors, trust in local government officials, and reciprocity, each of which included five trajectories: persistently low, decreased, fluctuated, increased, and persistently high. Province-level COVID-19 severity in 2020 was a factor score constructed by the number of provincial COVID-19 cases and deaths. We conducted mixed-effects linear regression to answer our research question. ResultsPersistently low generalized trust (β: 0.46; 95 % CI: 0.15,0.78), persistently low (β: 0.57; 95 % CI: 0.22, 0.92), decreased (β: 0.36; 95 % CI: 0.07, 0.65) and increased (β: 0.40; 95 % CI: 0.12, 0.68) trust in neighbors, and persistently low (β: 0.39; 95 % CI: 0.02, 0.77) and decreased (β: 0.68; 95 % CI: 0.38, 0.97) reciprocity, compared with their persistently high trajectories, were associated with a higher level of peri-COVID-19 depressive symptoms. We did not find robust evidence to support the moderating effect of province-level COVID-19 severity. ConclusionsLong-term strategies to increase cognitive social capital and prevent cognitive social capital decline are needed to protect mental health against a pandemic.

Teeth, Health, and Mind: Understanding the Interplay of Social Determinants and Cognitive Decline in Older Adults.

The study examines the association between social determinants of health, tooth loss, and cognitive decline. Using regression models, the 2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance data examined the study objective; it included 32,663 older adults who reported on cognitive status. Results suggested that older adults missing more than five teeth or unable to work are 1.61 times and 6.84 times more likely to report cognitive decline, respectively. Older adults with higher education and higher household incomes are less likely to report cognitive decline. Results suggested that older adults with no diabetes or who never smoked are 31% and 39% less likely to report a cognitive decline. The results suggested a significant association between tooth loss and cognitive decline among social determinants of health. A comprehensive approach to affect cognitive decline should include oral and social health strategies.

Social mobility as a driver of employee silence in India: toward a contextualized understanding of silence in emerging markets

PurposeThis paper aims to explore how the context in a dynamically developing country affects employee silence in India.Design/methodology/approachQualitative design involving semi-structured interviews with employees and managers from different sectors in the Mumbai and Delhi areas. An abductive approach was used to analyze the data.FindingsTwo types of social mobility concerns – advancement aspiration and fear of social decline – emerged as salient drivers of silence and can be attributed to a volatile job market, social status markers, transferability of qualification, someone’s socio-economic situation and the overall economic situation. Pathways were specified from social mobility concerns to silence tendencies that are motivated by both low approach and high avoidance.Research limitations/implicationsSocial mobility as a specific factor in the Indian distal context and as a characteristic of emerging markets can motivate silence while organization-related concepts like job satisfaction or commitment may have less predictive value. Propositions that were derived from the interview study need to be validated by deductive research. Generalizability of Indian findings across other emergent markets needs to be shown.Originality/valueTo the organizational behavior (OB) scholarship on silence, this research contributes by identifying antecedents of silence that are situated beyond the organizational boundaries challenging the dominant role of established factors at the team- and organizational level. To the human resource management/employment relations (HRM/ER) scholarship, this research contributes by theorizing psychological processes that link environmental factors to silence behaviors.

Correlations between Social Isolation and Functional Decline in Older Adults after Lower Limb Fractures Using Multimodal Sensors: A Pilot Study

Older adults (OAs) recovering from lower limb fractures experience social isolation (SI) and functional decline (FD) after they are discharged from inpatient rehabilitation due to reduced physical mobility. Our research used MAISON (Multimodal AI-based Sensor platform for Older iNdividuals), a multimodal sensor system comprising various smart devices collecting acceleration, heart rate, step count, frequency of indoor motion, GPS, and sleep metrics. This study aimed to investigate the correlations between SI and FD with multimodal sensor data from OAs following lower limb fractures. Multimodal sensor data from eight OAs (8 weeks per person) living at home were collected. Five clinical metrics were obtained via biweekly video calls, including three clinical questionnaires (Social Isolation Scale (SIS), Oxford Hip Score, Oxford Knee score) and two physical mobility assessments (Timed Up and Go, 30 s chair stand). From the sensor data collected, 53 statistical and domain features were extracted. Spearman correlation coefficients were calculated between the extracted features and clinical data. The results indicated strong correlations between various items of SIS and sleep metrics in OAs and various items of Oxford Knee Score with GPS and acceleration data. Strong correlations between the questions of the Oxford scores and sensor data highlight the direct impact of physical health status on measurable daily physical activities.

Дискурс декаданса в «Истории византийского искусства...» (1876) Никодима Кондакова

The aim of the paper is to reevaluate the theoretical dimension of the book “History of Byzantine Art and Iconography Based on Miniatures of Greek Manuscripts” (1876) by the leading Russian art historian Nikodim Pavlovich Kondakov (1844-1925) within the context of examining the cultural and social problem of decadence. The article provides a new interpretation of the well-known work by N. P. Kondakov. Scientific novelty lies in the following: the terminology of the book (and, above all, such concepts as naturalism, realism and idealism) is considered for the first time in connection with the problems of biological and decadent discourses. Particular attention is paid to the social and cultural aspects of the cyclical theory of decline set forth in Nikodim Kondakov’s book. As a result, this concept of cultural degradation is linked with ideas about social decline that were formed in the culture of the 19th century. The components of the aesthetics of decadence and biological discourse are studied, among other things, through the lens of Russian realistic aesthetics. The article uses methodological complexes that help shed new light on the peculiarities of the functioning of the cultural tradition in the Russian Empire in the second half of the 19th century, especially in aspects related to the influence of culture on the development of the humanities. The emphasis is on finding those cultural and intellectual sources of Nikodim Kondakov’s scientific activity that turned out to be the most important in terms of the formation of his innovative theoretical and methodological concepts.

Trajectories of behavior and social cognition in behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia and primary psychiatric disorders: A call for better operationalization of socioemotional changes.

Behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) and primary psychiatric disorders (PPD), such as mood, psychotic, and autism spectrum disorders, share similar clinical characteristics of behavior and social cognition. Better understanding of clinical progression in bvFTD and PPD is essential for adequate disease monitoring and trial design. In this longitudinal study (N = 89), patients with bvFTD and PPD with at least one follow-up assessment were included from the Social Brain Project of the Alzheimer Center Amsterdam. Behavioral change and social cognitive decline were assessed via informant-rated questionnaires (Cambridge Behavioral Inventory-Revised, Frontal Behavioral Inventory [FBI], Stereotypy Rating Inventory, Frontotemporal Dementia Rating Scale, Revised Self-Monitoring Scale [RSMS]-caregiver) and patient assessment (Ekman 60-Faces Test, RSMS-patient, Emotional Contagion Scale). Clinical trajectories (median = 1.4 years, interquartile range = 1.0-2.2) were examined using linear mixed models. In a subsample, associations with baseline serum neurofilament light (sNfL) were examined. At baseline, behavioral and social cognitive symptoms were similar between diagnosis groups, except for poorer emotion recognition in bvFTD. Over time, behavioral symptoms worsened in bvFTD, whereas most measures remained stable and the FBI improved in PPD. Regarding social cognition, emotion recognition and caregiver-reported socioemotional sensitivity worsened in bvFTD and remained stable in PPD. Patient-reported social cognitive measures did not change over time. Higher sNfL was associated with faster behavioral change. Trajectories of behavior and social cognition differentiate bvFTD from PPD, provided that social cognition is not patient-reported. Therefore, we stress the need to optimize longitudinal social cognitive assessment in bvFTD. sNfL may be a useful prognostic marker of behavioral progression in neuropsychiatric populations.

Age-Related Hearing Loss, Cognitive Decline, and Social Interaction: Testing a Framework.

Aging increases risk for hearing loss, cognitive decline, and social isolation; however, the nature of their interconnection remains unclear. This study examined the interplay between age-related hearing loss, cognitive decline, and social isolation in adults by testing the ability to understand speech in background noise, a challenge frequently reported by many older adults. We analyzed data collected from 128 adults (20-79 years of age, Mage = 51 years) recruited as part of the Aging Brain Cohort at the University of South Carolina repository. The participants underwent testing for hearing, cognition, and social interaction, which included pure-tone audiometry, a words-in-noise (WIN) test, a hearing questionnaire (Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Scale [SSQ12]), a social questionnaire (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System-57 Social), and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. We used a single pure-tone average (PTA) threshold value and a single WIN threshold value for each participant because there were no differences on average between the left and right ears. Poorer hearing was significantly associated with cognitive decline, through both PTA and WIN thresholds, with a stronger association observed for WIN threshold. Adults with poorer hearing also exhibited greater social isolation, as evidenced by their WIN threshold and SSQ12 score, although not through PTA. This connection was more pronounced with the WIN threshold than with the SSQ12 score. Cognition was not related to social isolation, suggesting that social isolation is affected more by the ability to understand words in noise than by cognition in a nondemented population. Understanding speech in challenging auditory environments rather than mere threshold detection is strongly linked to social isolation and cognitive decline. Thus, inclusion of a word-recognition-in-noise test and a social isolation survey in clinical settings is warranted. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.26237060.

Gambaran Efikasi Diri dalam Pengelolaan Hipertensi pada Lansia di UPTD Puskesmas Baturetno 1 Wonogiri

Elderly is someone who has reached the age of >60 years. The elderly will experience a gradual physical, mental and social decline. The aging process in the elderly is characterised by degenerative changes making them vulnerable to a disease, one of which is hypertension. Hypertension is a cardiovascular disease characterised by a blood pressure condition of 140/90 mmHg. The management of hypertension in the elderly is carried out pharmacologically and non-pharmacologically, this is influenced by high or low self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is a person's belief in the ability to take action in accordance with the goals to be achieved. Knowing the description of self-efficacy in managing hypertension in the elderly at UPTD Puskesmas Baturetno I Wonogiri. This type of research uses descriptive methods with a quantitative approach. The sampling method is simple random sampling with inclusion criteria (respondents who have blood pressure> 140/90 mmHg, and the elderly> 60 years), exclusion criteria are respondents who are not present on the spot. The instrument used was the GSES (General Self-Efficacy Scale) questionnaire. The results of this study were 53 respondents (72.6%) elderly people with hypertension had high self-efficacy, while 20 respondents (27.4%) had low self-efficacy. From this study the majority of elderly people with hypertension at UPTD Puskesmas Baturetno I Wonogiri have high self-efficacy in managing their hypertension.

Addressing social isolation and cognitive decline in care homes with virtual reality: Challenges and early benefits in Germany and Czechia

Addressing social isolation and cognitive decline in care homes with virtual reality: Challenges and early benefits in Germany and Czechia

Local Debt and Social Welfare in China: Evidence from Zhejiang and Anhui

Currently local government debt is a major concern for all sectors of society, but there is still a debate about the relationship between local government debt and social welfare. This paper addresses the question of the impact of local debt and social welfare in China, using a case study of data from Zhejiang and Anhui from 2014-2019 to qualitatively analyze the impact of local debt and social welfare in four dimensions: consumption, infrastructure, education, and health. The results found that: first, the growth of local debt has an inverted U-shaped impact on residents' welfare, which is manifested in the fact that before the size of local debt reaches the critical value, the increase of local debt can enhance social welfare, but after exceeding the critical value, the increase of local debt makes social welfare decline; second, in terms of sub-welfare index factors, there are different correlation degrees between different factors and the indicators of local debt, and thus have different characteristics of development at different stages are characterized by different developments.

Effectiveness of Cognitive Function and Activity of Daily Living (ADL) on Elderly Independence

Aging is a natural process followed by physical and behavioural changes. All individuals will experience the process of growing old and old age is the final stage of human life, where there is a gradual physical, mental and social decline. Actual deterioration occurs in the elderly will reduce muscle mass and flexibility, so it can affect the capacity of the elderly to meet their needs. The lack of elderly activities carried out independently in daily activities, elderly people aged 85 years and over have difficulty in managing daily activities, and deterioration of cognitive function. Objective: To determine the Effectiveness of Cognitive Function and Activity of Daily Living (ADL) on Elderly Independence at Panti Sosial Harapan Kita Palembang. Methods: This study used parametric statistics to determine the relationship between cognitive function and Activity Of Daily Living on independence with a sample of 36 respondents taken by total sampling technique. Results: The results of the statistical test obtained a p value of 0.766 means that there is no significant relationship between cognitive function and independence. As for the relationship between Activity of daily living and the independence of the elderly, the p value is 0.039, meaning that there is a significant relationship between Activity of Daily Living and independence. Conclusion: There is no significant relationship between cognitive function and independence and there is a significant relationship between Activity of Daily Living and the independence of the elderly at Harapan Kita Palembang social centre.

Does Shrinking Population in Small Towns Equal Economic and Social Decline? A Romanian Perspective

Sustainable development has been a global concern worldwide for the last decades now, but only recently have the challenges faced by small towns, especially in regions experiencing population contraction been addressed. (1) Background: This article delves into the case of Romania, a country in Eastern Europe that has witnessed significant demographic, social and economic changes in recent decades. Population contraction in small towns can significantly impact their future development. (2) Methods: The research was conducted in three stages: first, we selected relevant demographic, economic, financial and social indices (16 in total), then we analysed their changes over time, and forecast their values based on statistical data to assess economic development sustainability for 215 small towns with less than 20,000 inhabitants. (3) Results: Following the aggregation of the quantitative indicators and the demographic changes, we identified four categories of small towns. (4) Conclusions: the study underlines the importance of adopting proper policies targeting small towns in Romania to ensure their long-term viability by implementing targeted policies and strategies such as incentives for local businesses, improving educational and healthcare facilities, and promoting entrepreneurship. The ultimate goal is to mitigate the adverse effects of population contraction and pave the way for more sustainable and resilient communities.

Seminar dan Sosialisasi Bimbingan Remaja Usia Sekolah Untuk Penanaman Karakter Anti Bullying di SMP 5 Sawoo Ponorogo

Bullying is a repetitive aggressive act committed by a group or individual against a specific individual. This action is prone to occur during adolescence, as adolescents often struggle to cope with this transition effectively, resulting in psychological and social decline. The prevalence of bullying behaviors frequently reported in the mass media is one example of the issues facing adolescents. This occurs due to various factors, one of which is the weak character of adolescents in facing the transition to adulthood. The purpose of this community service activity is to assist adolescents in cultivating character traits to prevent bullying behavior. This activity utilizes the Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) method, which involves observation, preparation, implementation, and evaluation. The activity is carried out at SMP 5 Sawoo Ponorogo, chosen because it is a school located on the outskirts of the city and requires character education for adolescents, supported by the low literacy rate in this area. The results of the service include students at SMP 5 Sawoo receiving knowledge from speakers regarding anti-bullying, healthy self-concepts, adolescent challenges and issues, ultimately enabling them to build bridges of hope.

Penilaian Fungsi Sosial Lanjut Usia Menggunakan Instrumen APGAR

Introduction: Aging factors render the elderly less potent, capable, and more dependent on others' assistance. Increased dependency occurs due to physical, psychological, and social decline. The APGAR instrument (Adaptation, Partnership, Growth, Affection, Resolve) Objective: The objective of this community service activity is to enhance the understanding, knowledge, and skills of health cadres in assessing the social functions of the elderly using the APGAR Instrument. Method: Training for health cadres is conducted through material delivery methods and demonstrations of assessing the social functions of the elderly using the APGAR instrument. Cognitive success is evaluated through pre-and post-tests, while the skills of health cadres are assessed through the re-demonstration of APGAR assessment. Result: The results of the pre-test on social functions and the assessment of the social functions of the elderly showed that 11 individuals (61%) had sufficient understanding, 7 individuals (39%) had insufficient understanding, while in the post-test, 8 individuals (44%) had sufficient understanding, and 10 individuals (56%) had good understanding. The demonstration results showed that 14 individuals (77.8%) were able, and 4 individuals (22.2%) were sufficiently able to conduct social function assessments using the APGAR instrument. Conclusion: Based on the training results, it can be concluded that the understanding and knowledge of health cadres regarding social functions and the assessment of the social functions of the elderly mostly improved, and almost all of them were able to conduct assessments using the APGAR instrument.

Investigating the Relationship Between the Use of Social Media, Educational Decline, and Student Mental Health

Investigating the Relationship Between the Use of Social Media, Educational Decline, and Student Mental Health

Social Activity and Cognitive Decline in Older Residents of Long-Term Care Facilities: A Cohort Study.

Cognitive decline is a major reason for dependence and resource use in long-term care. We explored whether social activities may prevent cognitive decline of older residents of long-term care facilities. In a routine care cohort, 3,603 residents of long-term care facilities were assessed on average 4.4 times using the interRAI-Long-Term-Care-Facilities instrument which includes frequency of participation in social activities of long standing interest over the last 30 days and the Cognitive Performance Scale. Linear mixed models repeated measures analyses were performed corrected for age, sex, physical activity, Activities of Daily Living, mood, and health indicators. Social activity was associated with cognitive preservation over time. This association was stronger in those with no or mild cognitive impairment at baseline, relative to those with moderate to severe impairment. Participation in specific social activities such as conversing and helping others showed a similar positive association. The relation between social activity and cognitive impairment appeared to be bi-directional. The protective effects of social activity offer a window of opportunity to preserve cognitive functioning in long-term care residents.

Identification of distinct clinical profiles and trajectories in individuals at high risk of developing psychosis: A latent profile analysis of the north American prodrome longitudinal study consortium-3 dataset.

People at clinical high risk (CHR) for psychosis are a heterogeneous population in regard to clinical presentation and outcome. It is unclear, however, if their baseline clinical characteristics can be used to construct orthogonal subgroups that differ in their clinical trajectory to provide early identification of individuals in need of tailored interventions. We used latent profile analysis (LPA) to determine the number of distinct clinical profiles within the CHR population using the NAPLS-3 dataset, focusing on the clinical features incorporated in the NAPLS psychosis risk calculator (including age, unusual thought content and suspiciousness, processing speed, verbal learning and memory function, social functioning decline, life events, childhood trauma, and family history of psychosis). We then conducted a between-profile comparisons of clinical trajectories based on psychotic and depressive symptoms as well as substance use disorder (SUD) related features over time. Two distinct profiles emerged. One profile, comprising approximately 25% of the sample, was significantly older, displayed better cognitive performance, experienced more types of traumatic and undesirable life events, exhibited a greater decline in functioning in the past year, and was more likely to have relatives with psychosis. This group showed worse positive symptoms and SUD-related features over time, although groups did not differ in the proportion of individuals who developed psychosis. LPA results suggest CHRs can be segregated into two profiles with different clinical trajectories. Characterizing individuals within these clinical profiles may help understand the divergent outcomes of this population and ultimately facilitate the development of specialized interventions.