Perceived social isolation, evolutionary fitness and health outcomes: a lifespan approach

Developmental trajectories of loneliness in Chinese children: Environmental and personality predictors

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to identify the developmental trajectories of loneliness in Chinese children and examine the predictive roles of domain-specific environmental factors (i.e., family dysfunction and satisfaction of relatedness needs at school), personality factors (i.e., neuroticism and extraversion), and their interactions in these developmental trajectories.

METHODS

A total of 702 Chinese children (Mage = 8.95, SD = 0.76; 54.1 % boys) participated in assessments at six time points over three years at six-month intervals. Growth mixture modeling (GMM) was used to estimate trajectory classes for loneliness, followed by multivariate logistic regression analyses exploring associations between these classes and predictors.

RESULTS

GMM analyses identified three distinct trajectories of loneliness: "low-stable" (81.5 %), "moderate-increasing" (9.4 %), and "high-decreasing" (9.1 %). Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that family dysfunction and neuroticism served as risk factors for adverse loneliness trajectories, while satisfaction of relatedness needs at school and extraversion acted as protective factors. Furthermore, the interaction between family dysfunction and extraversion indicated that extraversion did not mitigate the adverse effects of high family dysfunction on children's loneliness, emphasizing the vital need to support positive family functioning among all children.

LIMITATIONS

This study did not incorporate biological variables (e.g., genetics), which are crucial in the evolutionary theory of loneliness.

CONCLUSIONS

The identification of three distinct trajectory groups of children's loneliness, along with key environmental and personality predictors, suggests that interventions should be tailored to each group's unique characteristics.

Ambiguity potentiates effects of loneliness on feelings of rejection

For social species, having strong and high-quality social relationships is an important safety cue. Loneliness occurs when an individual perceives they have insufficient relationships resulting in feelings of lack of safety. States of perceived unsafety are linked to an increased tendency to construe ambiguous information - information lacking a unique clear interpretation - as threatening. Here, we explore whether the ambiguity of social cues of interpersonal rejection moderates effects of loneliness on feelings of rejection while undergoing social exclusion. Data were collected in 2021; 144 adults completed a progressive social exclusion paradigm where they were randomly assigned to be equally included, excluded, or over-included. Social exclusion/inclusion cues became more pronounced over the course of multiple rounds of a ball-tossing game (Cyberball) resulting in a scenario where ambiguity was highest in earlier rounds and decreased over time. Participants reported feelings of loneliness prior to the task and feelings of rejection throughout the task. Results demonstrated that higher loneliness predicted increased feelings of rejection regardless of exclusion condition. Notably, this positive relationship was strongest during earlier rounds when social cues were most ambiguous. These findings contribute to our understanding of how loneliness modulates social perception to enable organisms to adequately adapt to changing circumstances.

Shyness, Sport Engagement, and Internalizing Problems in Chinese Children: The Moderating Role of Class Sport Participation in a Multi-Level Model

The relations between shyness and internalizing problems have been mainly explored at the individual level, with little known about its dynamics at the group level. This study aims to examine the mediating effect of individual-level sport engagement and the moderating effect of class-level sport participation in the relations between shyness and internalizing problems. The participants were 951 children attending primary and middle school from grade 3 to grade 7 (Mage = 11 years, 509 boys) in urban areas of China. Cross-sectional data were collected using self-report assessments. Multi-level analysis indicated that (1) shyness was positively associated with internalizing problems; (2) sport engagement partially mediated the relations between shyness and internalizing problems; and (3) class sport participation was a cross-level moderator in the mediating relations between shyness, sport engagement, and internalizing problems. Shy children in classes with a higher level of sport participation tend to have less sport engagement and more internalizing problems than those in classes with a lower level of sport participation. These findings illuminate implications from a multi-level perspective for shy children's adjustment in a Chinese context. The well-being of shy children could be improved by intervening in sport activity, addressing both individual engagement and group dynamics, such as class participation.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the elderly in the United Kingdom: A review study

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly altered the lives and lifestyles of several older populations in the United Kingdom. It was important to note how it has affected their physical, mental, and social health and well-being during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. To study the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the imposed restrictions on the day-to-day lives of the elderly population in the United Kingdom. A review of the published literature on the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic and its consequences on the older population in the United Kingdom is done. Search engines used for medical databases were Pubmed, Google Scholar, and Internet Explorer. It was found that physical as well as mental well-being was affected in the elderly citizens of the United Kingdom. Mental health studies noted an obvious increase in anxiety and depressive symptoms. Social isolation and reduced access to healthcare services had a deteriorating impact on their social health. Covid-19-related lockdown and pandemic-associated physical, mental, and social well-being effects have been evident in the elderly population in the United Kingdom. The reasons identified for such findings are lack of physical activity, poor social interactions, social isolation, the perceived threat of a pandemic, and poor access to healthcare facilities.

Strategies of Well-being Training and Resilience

As cardiothoracic surgeons, we face frequent challenges to our well-being and our ability to function as our best selves. Building personal resilience is an important way to help us manage these challenges. Here, the authors outline the scope of the problem, the consequences of burnout, and offer 4 strategies to train ourselves to be more resilient: (1) Pursuit of fulfillment, (2) Cultivation of community and belonging, (3) Mitigation of microstresses and avoiding feelings of overwhelm, and (4) Building a "resilience bank account."

Self-Care Program as a tool for Alleviating Anxiety and Loneliness and Promoting Satisfaction with Life in High School Community: Randomized Survey Study

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 global pandemic has led to a marked increase in anxiety levels, significantly affecting the well-being of individuals worldwide. In response to this growing concern, interventions aimed at enhancing social-emotional skills and promoting mental health are more crucial than ever.

OBJECTIVE

This global study examined the effectiveness of a Self-Care program on anxiety, loneliness, and satisfaction with life in high school students and staff in a randomized, wait-list control trial with baseline and post-intervention assessments.

METHODS

The 4-week virtual Self-Care program, offered by the Heartfulness Institute, is designed to develop social-emotional skills through stress management and self-observation. The virtual program was a positive intervention that offered support to the students and staff to build specific skills, such as reflection, observation, positivity, time management, and goal setting. In this study, the sample consisted of a total of 203 high school students and staff randomized into a control-waitlisted group (Students: n=57 and Staff: n=45) and a Heartfulness group (Students: n=57 and Staff: n=44) from three schools. Both the groups completed online surveys at weeks 0, 4 and 8, assessing their anxiety, loneliness, and satisfaction with life scores using Generalized Anxiety disorder scale (GAD-7 and Severity Measure for Generalized Anxiety Disorder-Child Age 11-17), Satisfaction with life scale (SWLS and SWLS-C), and the UCLA Loneliness Scale. Survey responses were each individually analyzed via a repeated measures ANOVA.

RESULTS

The study received institutional review board approval on February 3, 2022. Participant recruitment lasted from the approval date until March 30, 2022. The 4-week program for the Heartfulness group started on April 4, 2024. There was a significant three-way interaction between Time, Group, and School showing a decrease in anxiety and loneliness scores and increase in the satisfaction with life scores (p<.05). In students in the Heartfulness group, there was strong evidence to suggest a significant mean difference in GAD, SWLS and UCLA between Week 0 and Week 4 at all schools (p<.0001). In staff in the Heartfulness group, there was strong evidence to suggest a significant mean difference in GAD, SWLS and UCLA between Week 0 and Week 4 at all schools (p<.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

The pandemic brought severe educational and social changes that triggered a decline in mental health in schools. This study showed the effectiveness of noninvasive self-care tools used virtually to significantly decreased anxiety and loneliness scores and increased satisfaction of life scores in the participants.

CLINICALTRIAL

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05874232; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05874232.

The relationship between loneliness and blood glucose: a cross-sectional survey among Japanese

Recently, researchers have uncovered a correlation between loneliness and both the development and management of diabetes. Nevertheless, previous studies employing an unvalidated loneliness questionnaire impair result accuracy. Furthermore, this aspect has not been researched in the Japanese population. Therefore, this cross-sectional study analyzed data from the Kanagawa prospective "ME-BYO" Cohort Study (ME-BYO cohort) to investigate the correlation between loneliness, as measured by 20 items on the UCLA Loneliness Scale, and blood glucose levels. A total of 666 participants were included in the analysis, with a mean age of 54.1 years and a mean BMI of 23 kg/m2. Half of the participants had obtained an education level beyond high school. The mean household income and physical activity level were reported as 6.83 million Japanese yen and 12.3 METs-h/day, respectively. Model 1 of the linear regression analysis determined that there was no significant association between the loneliness scale and HbA1c (p = 0.512). After adjusting for age, gender, BMI (model 2), sitting time, physical activity level (model 3), housemates, household income, and final education (model 4), and controlling for social support, quality of life, and depression (model 5), the results showed no significant association, with a p-value of 0.823, 0.791, 0.792, and 0.816, respectively. Thus, the study found no link between loneliness and HbA1c in the high SES population. This finding contradicts previous results and may be attributed to the impact of population characteristics, SES status, or genetic backgrounds.

Social Status as a Latent Variable in the Amygdala of Observers of Social Interactions

Successful integration into a hierarchical social group requires knowledge of the status of each individual and of the rules that govern social interactions within the group. In species that lack morphological indicators of status, social status can be inferred by observing the signals exchanged between individuals. We simulated social interactions between macaques by juxtaposing videos of aggressive and appeasing displays where two individuals appeared in each other's line of sight and their displays were timed to suggest the reciprocation of dominant and subordinate signals. Viewers of these videos successfully inferred the social status of the interacting characters. Dominant individuals attracted more social attention from viewers even when they were not engaged in social displays. Neurons in the viewers' amygdala signaled the status of both the attended (fixated) and the unattended individuals suggesting that in third party observers of social interactions, the amygdala signals jointly the status of interacting parties.

Highlights

Monkeys infer the social status of conspecifics from videos of simulated dyadic interactionsDuring fixations neural populations signal the social status of the attended individualsNeurons in the amygdala jointly encode the status of interacting individuals.

In brief

Third party-viewers of pairwise dominant-subordinate interactions infer social status from the observed behaviors. Neurons in the amygdala are tuned to the inferred dominant/subordinate status of both individuals.

Exercise to socialize? Bidirectional relationships between physical activity and loneliness in middle-aged and older American adults

Physical inactivity and loneliness are both associated with health risks and can affect each other through various social and behavioral mechanisms. However, current evidence on this relationship is equivocal and mostly based on cross-sectional data. This longitudinal study aimed to determine whether current levels of physical activity (moderate and vigorous intensity) and loneliness are associated with future respective states of themselves and each other. We used data from waves 6-14 (2002-2018) of the Health and Retirement Study (n = 20 134) in a mixed-effects and random-intercept cross-lagged panel model. Analysis showed that current loneliness and physical activity were associated with each future respective state. Additionally, weekly participation in moderate-intensity, but not vigorous-intensity, physical activity was associated with a lower likelihood of becoming lonely in the future (relative risk [RR] = 0.94; 95% CI, 0.90-0.99). However, changes in physical activity were not associated with deviation from a person's typical level of loneliness (for vigorous intensity, mean deviation [MD] = 0.00; 95% CI: -0.04 to 0.03; for moderate-intensity, MD = 0.01; 95% CI: -0.03 to 0.04). Loneliness was not associated with moderate- or vigorous-intensity physical activity in subsequent waves. This suggests that while lower physical activity levels can be associated with future loneliness, changing levels of physical activity has little impact on loneliness at the individual level.

The longitudinal relationship between loneliness and both social anxiety and mobile phone addiction among rural left-behind children: A cross-lagged panel analysis

INTRODUCTION

Left-behind children are a special group that needs urgent attention. Due to enduring separation from their parents, loneliness is considered the most common and prevalent developmental hurdle in the experiences of left-behind children. This longitudinal cross-lagged study examined the direction of the association between loneliness and both internalizing and externalizing symptoms, with considering gender and left-behind status differences.

METHODS

A total of 1175 rural Chinese children (48.3% boys, 39.9% left-behind children, Mage = 14.54 ± 1.18 at baseline) completed self-reported loneliness, social anxiety, and mobile phone addiction at two-time points with 6 months intervals. Descriptive statistics, cross-lagged panel analysis, and multiple group analysis were estimated in the present study.

RESULTS

Loneliness exacerbated social anxiety and mobile phone addiction, and vice versa. In addition, gender and left-behind status moderated these relationships, with boys more likely to be mobile phone addicted due to loneliness and girls more likely to be lonely due to mobile phone addiction. More importantly, left-behind children with loneliness are more prone to social anxiety and mobile phone addiction, and vice versa, compared with non-left-behind children.

CONCLUSIONS

The targeted interventions should be carried out for different genders and left-behind statuses. Particularly for left-behind children, neglecting to address both the symptoms of loneliness and both social anxiety and mobile phone addiction could significantly undermine the efficacy of intervention programs that solely target either one of these afflictions.

Social Categorisation and Social Identification: The Mediating Role of Social Isolation and Loneliness in Adolescents Living with HIV

BACKGROUND

Social isolation and loneliness are associated with living with a chronic condition particularly where stigma is a factor. Our study aimed to examine the lived experience of adolescents living with HIV in relation to isolation because of their diagnosis and consequences of disclosure. Giddens' structuration theory was used as an analytic framework to identify the potential mechanisms underlying adolescents living with HIV's experiences.

METHOD

Longitudinal in-depth interviews were conducted with 20 adolescents living with HIV aged 15-24 years with each participant taking part in three interviews (total 60) between September 2020 and October 2021. Thematic analysis was performed using Braun and Clarke's steps for coding and analysing qualitative data and informed by the structuration theory framework.

RESULTS

The findings indicated that adolescents living with HIV have agency and make conscious choices about sharing their status. However, these choices are influenced by their experiences in their community. The discrimination and negative judgements they often experience prevent them from disclosing their status. Stigma, discrimination, and psychological distress contribute to the isolation that adolescents and young adults living with HIV experience. The limited disclosure itself can lead to them becoming isolated and lonely.

CONCLUSION

The negative experiences which adolescents living with HIV face can have an impact not only on their psychological wellbeing but also on their decision to disclose and seek support. These experiences may lead to social isolation and loneliness, an unintended consequence of their action in protecting themselves from the conditions created by the structures/environment in which they live.

Loneliness is associated with more trust but worse trustworthiness expectations

Subjective feelings of loneliness emerge due to unsatisfactory social relationships, representing a major risk for mental and physical well-being. Despite its social nature, evidence on how loneliness affects social behaviours and expectations is lacking. Using Bayesian analyses and economic games, we show in three different studies that lonelier individuals trusted their partners to a greater extent despite less favourable trustworthiness expectations, showing a greater discrepancy between their trusting behaviours and their expectations of others' trustworthiness. Such discrepancy was reversed in extravert individuals who also reported to be less lonely. These results provide evidence on two opposing effects of loneliness as a motivator for social connections and promoter of social withdrawal, and demonstrate the moderating role of personality traits. This work contributes to a better understanding of how loneliness impacts social behaviour and social expectations, with important downstream clinical implications for varying health conditions associated with heightened feelings of loneliness.

The Association Between Child Maltreatment and Loneliness Across the Lifespan: A Systematic Review and Multilevel Meta-Analysis

While there is evidence that child maltreatment is positively associated with loneliness, the strength of this association is not yet clear. It is also unclear whether the magnitude and statistical significance of this association varies across groups of individuals. Therefore, this meta-analysis examines whether there are differences in loneliness between individuals with and without maltreatment histories, and which factors may influence the association between child maltreatment and loneliness. A three-level meta-analysis was conducted on 52 studies reporting 116 effect sizes (N = 1,705,493; Mage = 30.93; 49.6% females). Results showed a medium overall effect (g = 0.45, p < .001, 95% CI [0.36, 0.53]), indicating that individuals with maltreatment histories, on average, feel lonelier than individuals without maltreatment histories. Moderator analyses showed that effect sizes were larger for emotional abuse and emotional neglect as compared to other types of child maltreatment and decreased when participants were older at the time of loneliness assessment. These findings suggest that individuals with maltreatment histories, especially those who have been emotionally abused and/or emotionally neglected, are vulnerable to experiencing loneliness across the lifespan. The results also suggest that feelings of loneliness warrant attention in prevention and intervention programs for individuals with maltreatment histories.

Sensory perception of rivals has trait-dependent effects on plasticity in Drosophila melanogaster

The social environment has myriad effects on individuals, altering reproduction, immune function, cognition, and aging. Phenotypic plasticity enables animals to respond to heterogeneous environments such as the social environment but requires that they assess those environments accurately. It has been suggested that combinations of sensory cues allow animals to respond rapidly and accurately to changeable environments, but it is unclear whether the same sensory inputs are required in all traits that respond to a particular environmental cue. Drosophila melanogaster males, in the presence of rival males, exhibit a consistent behavioral response by extending mating duration. However, exposure to a rival also results in a reduction in their lifespan, a phenomenon interpreted as a trade-off associated with sperm competition strategies. D. melanogaster perceive their rivals by using multiple sensory cues; interfering with at least two olfactory, auditory, or tactile cues eliminates the extension of mating duration. Here, we assessed whether these same cues were implicated in the lifespan reduction. Removal of combinations of auditory and olfactory cues removed the extended mating duration response to a rival, as previously found. However, we found that these manipulations did not alter the reduction in lifespan of males exposed to rivals or induce any changes in activity patterns, grooming, or male-male aggression. Therefore, our analysis suggests that lifespan reduction is not a cost associated with the behavioral responses to sperm competition. Moreover, this highlights the trait-specific nature of the mechanisms underlying plasticity in response to the same environmental conditions.

Social support in older adults: Validation and norm values of a brief form of the Perceived Social Support Questionnaire (F-SozU K-6)

BACKGROUND

Social relations are crucial for maintaining physical and mental health across the life span. As social roles, networks and needs change with age a valid assessment of social support in older adults and age-specific norms are necessary. The present work aims to [1) assess the level of social support in individuals > 60 years of the general German population, [2) evaluate the brief six-item form of the Perceived Social Support Questionnaire (F-SozU K-6) in this age group and to [3) provide age-specific norm values.

METHODS

We analyze data of N = 706 people representative for the German population collected in 2021. To assess social support, we used the F-SozU K-6. We tested for selectivity, item difficulty, internal consistency, construct and factor validity, as well as factorial invariance. Additionally, we assessed correlations and associations with depression, loneliness, and sociodemographic factors. Furthermore, we reported norm values for respondents > 60 years.

RESULTS

Participants > 60 years reported a mean level of 23.97 (SD = 4.82) of social support. Results of the CFA confirmed a very good model fit. Measurement invariance across sex and age was shown. Associations with ADS and LS-S supported construct validity. Multiple regression analysis showed that female sex, increasing age, having a partner, and a higher equivalized household income were associated with higher levels of social support.

CONCLUSION

The F-SozU K-6 is a reliable and economical tool to assess perceived social support in older adults. Norm values for individual > 60 years are provided.

General practitioners' experiences of providing lifestyle advice to patients with depression: A qualitative focus group study

OBJECTIVE

Depression is an increasingly common mental health disorder in the UK, managed predominantly in the community by GPs. Emerging evidence suggests lifestyle medicine is a key component in the management of depression. We aimed to explore GPs' experiences, attitudes, and challenges to providing lifestyle advice to patients with depression.

METHOD

Focus groups were conducted virtually with UK GPs (May-July 2022). A topic guide facilitated the discussion and included questions on experiences, current practices, competence, challenges, and service provision. Data were analysed using template analysis.

RESULTS

'Supporting Effective Conversations'; 'Willing, but Blocked from Establishing Relational Care'; 'Working Towards Patient Empowerment'; and 'Control Over the Prognosis' were all elements of how individualised lifestyle advice was key to the management of depression. Establishing a doctor-patient relationship by building trust and rapport was fundamental to having effective conversations about lifestyle behaviours. Empowering patients to make positive lifestyle changes required tailoring advice using a patient-centred approach. Confidence varied across participants, depending on education, experience, type of patient, and severity of depression.

CONCLUSIONS

GPs play an important role in managing depression using lifestyle medicine and a patient-centred approach. Organisational and educational changes are necessary to facilitate GPs in providing optimal care to patients with depression.

Loneliness in adolescence and prescription of psychotropic drugs in adulthood: 23-year longitudinal population-based and registry study

BACKGROUND

The role of adolescent loneliness in adult mental health and prescriptions of psychotropic drugs remains underexplored.

AIMS

We aim to determine whether (a) experiencing loneliness in adolescence and (b) changes in loneliness from adolescence to adulthood are prospectively associated with prescriptions for a variety of psychotropic drugs in adulthood.

METHOD

We used data from a Norwegian population-based sample with 2602 participants, collected across four waves between 1992 and 2006. Loneliness was assessed at each wave, with survey data linked to medicinal drug prescription records from the Norwegian Prescription Database. We identified prescription histories of antipsychotics, mood stabilisers, antidepressants and benzodiazepines from 2007 to 2015, for each participant. We use latent growth curve analyses to model the relationship of adolescent loneliness and loneliness change from adolescence to adulthood, with subsequent psychotropic drugs prescription.

RESULTS

Adolescents with heightened loneliness, and adolescents whose loneliness increased into young adulthood, had a greater likelihood of being prescribed antipsychotics, mood stabilisers and antidepressants in adulthood. These associations remained significant after adjustment for confounders such as sociodemographic characteristics, conduct problems, substance use and mental health problems.

CONCLUSIONS

Loneliness in adolescence and its adverse development over a span of 15 years was linked to higher risk of receiving prescriptions for antipsychotics, mood stabilisers and antidepressants later in life. The findings may indicate that loneliness increases the risk for developing psychotic disorders, bipolar disorders and major depression.

User-centered development of an internet-based CBT intervention for the treatment of loneliness in older individuals

Background

Loneliness is a widespread phenomenon associated with a number of negative health outcomes. Older individuals may constitute one important target group with a need for effective interventions. However, despite evidence showing that addressing maladaptive social cognition (e.g., via cognitive behavioral therapy [CBT]) is the most effective intervention strategy for reducing loneliness, most existing programs aimed at older individuals do not use that method. Further, in terms of mental health service use, older individuals have been found to be an extremely undertreated population. When developing interventions, active involvement of end users in the development process is essential to increase later uptake.

Objective

The aim of the present study was to develop an internet-based CBT intervention for loneliness in older individuals (i.e., aged ≥65 years) applying a user-centered design. The present report provides an in-depth description of the development process.

Methods

Two phases of qualitative data collection were conducted in parallel with intervention development using a sample of N = 12 participants including both potential end users (i.e., older adults) as well as experts (i.e., psychotherapists). Measures included semi-structured interviews and usability testing.

Results

In Phase 1 interviews, participants indicated that they were predominantly positive about the idea of an internet-based program for loneliness targeting older individuals. Individualization and interactivity were named as crucial features. In Phase 2, usability testing of a prototype program provided important insights into technical barriers to intervention use. Further, participants reported that they were missing content on philosophy/theology and the role of descendants/relatives. Valuable insights from Phase 1 and Phase 2 were incorporated into the intervention program resulting in a 7-module internet-based self-help CBT intervention.

Discussion

Findings of this study highlight the significance of including relevant stakeholders in the development process of an intervention. Additionally, results emphasize the high acceptance of internet-based interventions in this population, but also underline the need for considering age-specific aspects when developing treatments.

Disability-related inequalities in the prevalence of loneliness across the lifespan: trends from Australia, 2003 to 2020

BACKGROUND

Experiencing loneliness can be distressing and increasing evidence indicates that being lonely is associated with poor physical and mental health outcomes. Cross-sectional studies have demonstrated that people with disability have increased risk of experiencing loneliness compared to people without disability. However, we do not know if these inequalities have changed over time. This study investigated the prevalence of loneliness for people with disability in Australia annually from 2003 to 2020 to examine whether disability-related inequalities in loneliness have changed over time, and disaggregated results for subgroups of people with disability by age group, sex, and disability group.

METHODS

We used annual data (2003-2020) from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey. Loneliness was measured by a single question assessing the subjective experience of loneliness. For each wave, we calculated population-weighted age-standardised estimates of the proportion of people experiencing loneliness for people with and without disability. We then calculated the absolute and relative inequalities in loneliness between people with and without disability for each wave. Analyses were stratified by 10-year age groups, sex, and disability group (sensory or speech, physical, intellectual or learning, psychological, brain injury or stroke, other).

RESULTS

From 2003 to 2020, the prevalence of loneliness was greater for people with disability, such that people with disability were 1.5 to 1.9 times more likely to experience loneliness than people without disability. While the prevalence of loneliness decreased for people without disability between 2003 and 2020, the prevalence of loneliness did not decrease for people with disability during this period. Inequalities in loneliness were more substantial for people with intellectual or learning disabilities, psychological disability, and brain injury or stroke.

CONCLUSION

This study confirms that people with disability have increased risk of loneliness compared to people without disability. We add to the existing evidence by demonstrating that disability-related inequalities in loneliness have persisted for two decades in Australia without improvement. Our findings indicate that addressing inequalities in loneliness for people with disability is a critical public health concern given that loneliness is associated with a wide range of poor health outcomes.

Profiles of Loneliness and Ostracism During Adolescence: Consequences, Antecedents, and Protective Factors

This longitudinal study (N = 1078, 46% boys; 54% girls) examined profiles of loneliness and ostracism during adolescence and their consequences and antecedents. Longitudinal latent profiles analyses identified four distinct profiles: (1) High emotional loneliness (25%), High and increasing social loneliness (15%), High peer exclusion and high social impact (9%) and No peer problems (51%). Subsequent internalizing problems were typical for the High and increasing social loneliness profile and externalizing problems for the High emotional loneliness and High peer exclusion and high social impact profiles. Furthermore, effortful control, prosocial skills, and relationship quality with parents and teachers were highest in the No peer problems profile, whereas the High and increasing social loneliness profile had the lowest self-esteem and was characterized by low surgency/extraversion, high affiliativeness, and high negative affectivity.

Psychological and neurobiological mechanisms involved in the relationship between loneliness and cognitive decline in older adults

Loneliness, among older adults, is one of the risk factors for developing dementia. Still, little is known about the neurobiological and psychological conditions that link loneliness to cognitive decline. The current study investigated several research aims: First, it sought to identify neurobiological and psychological pathways that may account for the relationship between loneliness and decline across several cognitive domains. These pathways included depressive symptoms, total gray matter volume, and conditional analyses of pro-inflammatory cytokines and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression. Second, it examined loneliness as a predictor of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Third, it sought to determine whether the relationship between loneliness and cognitive decline is sex-specific in older adults. Longitudinal data were collected from 2130 Rush Memory and Aging Project participants. Participants underwent annual cognitive and psychological assessments and neuroimaging procedures every year. BDNF gene expression was measured in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, cytokines were measured in serum, and the final consensus clinical diagnosis was identified at the time of death. All linear mixed and multinomial logistic regression models controlled for age at baseline, education, sex, and APOE genotype. Participants were largely women (73 %), and Caucasian (93 %). The average education was 14.93 (SD = 3.34). The average age at baseline was 80.05 (SD = 7.57). Results showed that gray matter volume and depressive symptoms partially mediated the relationship between loneliness and cognitive decline. There was a significant interaction between loneliness and BDNF expression in relation to cognitive decline. Higher levels of BDNF expression was associated with slower decline in semantic memory and visuospatial ability. Finally, the current study also established that higher levels of loneliness was positively associated with the incidence of AD and other dementias. The present findings support the growing literature, which tends to show that the consequence of loneliness goes beyond the feeling of being isolated. Loneliness may induce physiological changes in our brains, leading to cognitive decline. Future research can explore a wide range of biological and psychological expressions of loneliness to clarify how loneliness relates to dementia.

Global time trends of perceived loneliness among adolescents from 28 countries in Africa, Asia, and the Americas

BACKGROUND

Perceived loneliness in adolescence is associated with a plethora of adverse outcomes. However, data on its temporal trends are scarce. Therefore, we aimed to examine the temporal trend of perceived loneliness among school-going adolescents aged 12-15 years from 28 countries in Africa, Asia, and the Americas, where temporal trends of loneliness are largely unknown.

METHODS

Cross-sectional data from the Global School-based Student Health Survey 2003-2017 were analyzed. Perceived loneliness referred to feeling lonely most of the time or always in the past 12 months. Crude linear trends of perceived loneliness by country were assessed by linear regression models.

RESULTS

Data on 180,087 adolescents aged 12-15 years were analyzed [Mean (SD) age 13.7 (1.0) years; 51.4 % females]. The overall prevalence of perceived loneliness was 10.7 %. Among the 28 countries included in the study, significant increasing and decreasing trends were observed in six counties each, with stable trends found in 16 countries. The most drastic increase and decrease were observed in Egypt between 2006 (7.9 %) and 2011 (14.3 %), and in Samoa between 2011 (23.3 %) and 2017 (8.0 %), respectively. Stable trends with high prevalence across time were also common.

CONCLUSION

Our data suggest that perceived loneliness among adolescents is a global phenomenon, which has seen little improvement if any in recent years. It would be prudent to implement nationwide policies to combat loneliness globally.

The presence/absence of conspecifics modulates the circadian locomotor activity and body mass in spotted munia (Lonchura punctulata)

Biological clocks regulate the behavior and physiology of animals by tracking the local time using diverse time cues. Social cues are relevant in studying the behavior of gregarious animals, but these cues have not been widely studied in birds. Temporal information for circadian timekeeping is socially communicated through visual, physical, olfactory, and auditory means. We examined the efficacy of pulsatile social interactions on locomotor activity and its associated characteristics such as distribution profile of rest and activity, total counts, activity duration, phase shift in activity onset, and circadian periodicity in spotted munia. Besides, we analyzed the effect of such social interactions on their body mass. Spotted munia exhibited phase shift in the onset of activity when subjected to social isolation, but these cues could not affect their circadian periodicity. In Pair as well as in Group, social isolation led to increased activity and activity duration, and decreased body mass in guests relative to the host bird. Our results suggest that the circadian rhythm of locomotor activity in spotted munia is quite sensitive to socialization and isolation, and isolation is detrimental for the birds. Consistent with these observations, the decline in body mass revealed the physiological consequences of social isolation on spotted munia.

Living alone and cancer mortality by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status among US working-age adults

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have shown an association between living alone and cancer mortality; however, findings by sex and race/ethnicity have generally been inconsistent, and data by socioeconomic status are sparse. The association between living alone and cancer mortality by sex, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status in a nationally representative US cohort was examined.

METHODS

Pooled 1998-2019 data for adults aged 18-64 years at enrollment from the National Health Interview Survey linked to the National Death Index (N = 473,648) with up to 22 years of follow-up were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) for the association between living alone and cancer mortality.

RESULTS

Compared to adults living with others, adults living alone were at a higher risk of cancer death in the age-adjusted model (HR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.25-1.39) and after additional adjustments for multiple sociodemographic characteristics and cancer risk factors (HR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.04-1.16). Age-adjusted models stratified by sex, poverty level, and educational attainment showed similar associations between living alone and cancer mortality, but the association was stronger among non-Hispanic White adults (HR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.25-1.42) than non-Hispanic Black adults (HR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.05-1.32; p value for difference < .05) and did not exist in other racial/ethnic groups. These associations were attenuated but persisted in fully adjusted models among men (HR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.05-1.23), women (HR, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.01-1.18), non-Hispanic White adults (HR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.05-1.20), and adults with a college degree (HR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.07-1.39).

CONCLUSIONS

In this nationally representative study in the United States, adults living alone were at a higher risk of cancer death in several sociodemographic groups.

Lessons from lonely flies: Molecular and neuronal mechanisms underlying social isolation

Animals respond to changes in the environment which affect their internal state by adapting their behaviors. Social isolation is a form of passive environmental stressor that alters behaviors across animal kingdom, including humans, rodents, and fruit flies. Social isolation is known to increase violence, disrupt sleep and increase depression leading to poor mental and physical health. Recent evidences from several model organisms suggest that social isolation leads to remodeling of the transcriptional and epigenetic landscape which alters behavioral outcomes. In this review, we explore how manipulating social experience of fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster can shed light on molecular and neuronal mechanisms underlying isolation driven behaviors. We discuss the recent advances made using the powerful genetic toolkit and behavioral assays in Drosophila to uncover role of neuromodulators, sensory modalities, pheromones, neuronal circuits and molecular mechanisms in mediating social isolation. The insights gained from these studies could be crucial for developing effective therapeutic interventions in future.

Alleviating the Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Physical, Psychological Health, and Wellbeing of Students: Coping Behavior as a Mediator

Background

Public health procedures under the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown policy negatively affect people's health. Students' physical issues have been increased due to restrictions which further impact their psychological and overall well-being.

Objective

The research looks at the influence of coping behavior in mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on students' physical/psychological health and general well-being.

Methods

The study's participants were chosen from a pool of 2200 people using convenience sampling. Using an anonymous online poll, the main data were gathered. The collected data were analyzed by using Smart-PLS.

Results

From eight direct correlations, seven were found to be true, except the route pandemic -> overall wellbeing, which was not true. Furthermore, it was shown that the mediating effect of coping behavior was statistically significant in the routes of mediation.

Conclusion

Coping strategies have a significant role in how a person responds to trying circumstances. Our study's results suggest that coping strategies had a statistically significant mediation role in reducing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is concluded that appropriate coping strategies are an effective adaptation of a protective barrier against the damaging effects of COVID-19 on health.

Correlations between Dementia and Loneliness

This review describes associations between dementia and loneliness on the neurobiological and epidemiological levels according to the recent body of literature. The aim of this study was to highlight major lines of research in this field. Sociocognitive skills and social interactions present complex interdependencies with dementia which may be explained by two theories. According to the first one, not sufficiently engaging in social or cognitive activities results in brain atrophy. The second one claims that brain neurogenesis and synaptic density are being increased by social connections. The relationship between loneliness and dementia could be mediated by sensory loss, including hearing and visual impairment, as well as depression and psychotic symptoms. Loneliness itself might cause a depletion in sensory and cognitive stimulation which results in a decrease in neural reserve. Certain changes in the structures of the brain caused by loneliness were found in imaging examination. Loneliness appears to be a crucial risk factor for dementia in recent times due to the modern lifestyle and consequences of the outbreak of COVID-19. Additional studies are required to understand more completely the key tenets of this topic and therefore to improve the prevention and treatment of dementia.

What is the effect of intergenerational activities on the wellbeing and mental health of older people?: A systematic review

Background

Opportunities for social connection between generations have diminished over the last few decades around the world as a result of changes in the way that we live and work. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated loneliness for many with young and old being kept apart for safety. The Public Health England prevention concordat for better mental health (Office for Health Improvement and Disparities) aims to bring a prevention-focused approach to improving public mental health. The concordat promotes evidence-based planning and commissioning to increase the impact on reducing health inequalities using sustainable and cost-effective interventions that impact on the wider determinants of mental health and wellbeing for children and young people and older people. Intergenerational activities could provide an opportunity to support both populations. In 2023, we produced an evidence and gap map to illustrate the amount and variety of research on intergenerational interventions and the gaps in research that still exist in this area. The review conducted here is based on the evidence in that map.

Objectives

This systematic review examines the impact of intergenerational interventions on the wellbeing and mental health of older people and identifies areas for future research as well as key messages for service commissioners.

Search Methods

We searched an evidence and gap map published in 2022 (comprehensive searches conducted July 2021 and updated June 2023) to identify randomised controlled trials of intergenerational interventions that report mental health and wellbeing outcomes for older people.

Selection Criteria

Randomised controlled trials of intergenerational interventions that involved unrelated younger and older people with at least one skipped generation between them and reported mental health or wellbeing outcomes for older people were included in this review.

Data Collection and Analysis

We used standard methodological procedures expected by The Campbell Collaboration. We conducted data extraction and Cochrane risk of bias assessments in EPPI reviewer. Where data allowed meta-analyses were conducted in STATA.

Main Results

This review includes 14 trials from six different countries. The trials had some important methodological weaknesses. Interventions were mainly delivered in-person and often in groups. They included visiting programmes, school volunteering programmes, music-based interventions and task-oriented interventions such as activities set in a multigenerational park, reminiscing activities, aggression management programmes, learning a language, making local environmental changes and in-school project work. Intergenerational interventions showed a small positive trend towards improving self-esteem (effect size [ES]: 0.33, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.35, 1.01) and depression (ES: 0.19, 95% CI: -0.23, 0.60) for older people participating. However, due to the small study sizes and low number of studies available, we cannot be confident about any effects. The results for other mental health and wellbeing outcomes are reported but due to little overlap in similar assessments across the studies, we could not combine them to assess the strength of evidence. There were no data about social isolation, spiritual health or sense of community. There are no long-term studies and no data on equity. We still know very little about what works and how or why. Whilst some interventions do use theories and logic to inform their development others do not. More exploration of this is needed.

Authors’ Conclusions

Commissioners and intervention developers should ensure interventions provide sufficient theoretical evidence for the logic behind the proposed intervention and should improve their consideration of equity within the interventions Research on intergenerational interventions need more consistent and agreed measures for reporting outcomes including community outcomes (core outcome sets). More understanding is needed on how best to measure 'community' outcomes. Research on intergenerational interventions should measure outcomes for BOTH the older and younger population engaged in the intervention-these may or may not be the same outcomes reflected in both populations. Further research is needed on the long-term impact of interventions on outcomes (whether participants need to keep being involved in an 'intervention' to continue to benefit) and sustainability of interventions beyond the initial funding of the research project. Supporting this our stakeholders highlighted that interventions that are initiated for research and then end (usually within a year) are not helpful.

An exploration of loneliness experienced by people living with mental illness and the impact on their recovery journey: An integrative review

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: There is evidence that social isolation and loneliness is more prevalent in people living with mental illness than in the general population. People living with mental illness frequently experience stigma, discrimination, rejection, repeated psychiatric admissions, low self-esteem, low self-efficacy, and increased symptoms of paranoia, depression, and anxiety. There is evidence of common interventions that can be used to improve loneliness and social isolation such as psychosocial skills training and cognitive group therapy. WHAT THE PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: This paper offers a comprehensive assessment of the evidence between mental illness, loneliness, and recovery. The results suggest that people living with mental illness experience elevated levels of social isolation and loneliness leading to poor recovery and quality of life. Social deprivation, social integration and romantic loneliness are related to loneliness, poor recovery, and reduced quality of life. A sense of belonging, ability to trust and hope are important aspects of improved loneliness, quality of life and recovery. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: The existing culture in mental health nursing practice needs to be examined to address loneliness in people living with mental illness and its impact on recovery. Existing tools to research loneliness do not consider dimensions in loneliness experience as reflected in the literature. Practice needs to demonstrate an integrated approach to recovery, optimal service delivery and augmentation of evidence-based clinical practice to improve individual's loneliness, social circumstances, and relationships. Practice needs to demonstrate nursing knowledge in caring for people living with mental illness experiencing loneliness. Further longitudinal research is required to clearly understand the relationship between loneliness, mental illness, and recovery.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: To our knowledge, there are no previous reviews on the impact of loneliness experienced by people aged 18-65, who are living with mental illness and their recovery experience.

AIM/QUESTION

To explore the experience and impact of loneliness in people living with mental illness during recovery.

METHOD

An integrative review.

RESULTS

A total of 17 papers met the inclusion criteria. The search was conducted using four electronic databases: MEDLINE, CINAHL, Scopus and PsycINFO. Across these 17 papers, participants were most commonly, diagnosed with schizophrenia or psychotic disorders and recruited from community mental health services.

DISCUSSION

The review revealed loneliness to be substantial in people living with mental illness and that loneliness affected their recovery, and their quality of life. The review identified many factors that contribute to loneliness including unemployment, financial strain, social deprivation, group housing, internalized stigma and mental illness symptoms. Individual factors such as social/community integration and social network size as well as an inability to trust, a sense of not belonging, hopelessness and lack of romance were also evident. Interventions targeting social functioning skills and social connectedness were found to improve social isolation and loneliness.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

It is vital for mental health nursing practice to employ an approach integrating physical health as well as social recovery needs, optimal service delivery and augmentation of evidence-based clinical practice to improve loneliness, recovery, and quality of life.

Funny Date, Creative Mate? Unpacking the Effect of Humor on Romantic Attraction

Extensive research shows that people are attracted to funny dating partners, with several competing, sometimes conflicting, explanations for why humor is strongly desired in a mate. The present research asks whether humor is interpreted as a reliable, hard-to-fake indicator of some other, valuable trait. Across six experiments, we manipulated humor in a hypothetical date, online dating profile, or video profile and asked which of several traits statistically linked to humor are reliably inferred about funny partners. Humor-specifically partners producing humor-consistently led to higher ratings of partner creative ingenuity. This effect was not moderated by gender, and mediated desirability for different types of partnership. Results further revealed stronger preference for a first-date activity requiring creative ingenuity with a funny versus non-funny partner. Humor may signal that a potential partner is skilled at creative problem-solving, which may be particularly important when considering various forms of partnership.

Cardiometabolic Risk Increased in Working-Aged Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: Public health measures necessary to mitigate the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) impacted lifestyles and health practices. This multiyear cohort analysis of U.S. working-aged adults aims to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on metabolic syndrome and explores contributing factors. Methods: This longitudinal study (n = 19,543) evaluated year-to-year changes in metabolic syndrome and cardiometabolic risk factors through employer-sponsored annual health assessment before and during the COVID-19 pandemic using logistic mixed-effects model. Results: From prepandemic to pandemic (2019 to 2020), prevalence of metabolic syndrome increased by 3.5% for men and 3.0% for women, across all ethnic groups. This change was mainly driven by increased fasting glucose (7.3%) and blood pressure (5.2%). The increased risk of metabolic syndrome was more likely to occur in individuals with an elevated body mass index (BMI) combined with insufficient sleep or physical activity. Conclusions: Cardiometabolic risk increased during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with before the pandemic in a working-aged adult population, more so for those with a high BMI, unhealthy sleep, and low physical activity practices. Given this observation, identification of risk and intervention (including lifestyle and medical) is increasingly necessary to reduce the cardiovascular and metabolic risk, and improve working-aged population health.

Iterative Design, Feasibility, and Preliminary Efficacy Testing for the Development of a Cooperative Card Game Intervention to Reduce Loneliness and Foster Social Connection

Objective: To present the design, development, and pilot testing of Connections, an empirically derived cooperative card game intervention to reduce loneliness and enhance connection. Materials and Methods: Theory and empirical evidence from domains such as self-disclosure, interpersonal closeness, and serious games informed the design of this game. Iterative design was used to develop the intervention, followed by feasibility and preliminary efficacy pilot testing. Results: Pilot testing showed that participants felt confident playing the game and found Connections to be enjoyable, interesting, and helpful in building connections with others, and would recommend the game to others. Preliminary evaluation found statistically significant benefits across multiple domains after playing the game. Participants reported decreases in loneliness, depressed mood, and anxiousness (ps < 0.02). Additionally, participants reported increases in looking forward to forming new connections with others in the future, the degree to which they felt like opening up and talking to others, and the amount they felt like they had in common with others (ps < 0.05). Conclusion: Pilot testing of Connections demonstrated feasibility and preliminary impact among a community sample. Future development plans include minor revisions to the game instructions followed by more rigorous testing of the feasibility, usability, and efficacy of Connections among various settings and populations, with large samples and controlled trials.

Comorbidity of loneliness and social anxiety in adolescents: Bridge symptoms and peer relationships

RATIONALE

Previous research investigating the comorbidity of loneliness and social anxiety symptoms in population samples has relied on latent variable modeling in which averaged scores representing dimensions were derived from observed symptoms. Studies have not examined how loneliness and social anxiety co-occur at the symptom level or their relations with peer relationships.

OBJECTIVE

This study examined the comorbidity of loneliness and social anxiety and the role of peer relationships (i.e., the number of reciprocated friends, friendship quality, and bullying victimization) in adolescents' co-occurring network using a large sample of Chinese adolescents.

METHODS

We performed a network analysis in a sample of Chinese adolescents (N = 2601, 51.6% male, M age = 13.9 years, SD = 0.60). Participants completed self-report measures of loneliness, social anxiety, bullying victimization, and friendship quality as well as peer nomination measures of the number of reciprocated friends.

RESULTS

Network analysis revealed that feeling ridiculed, fear of being rejected, having difficulty asking others to do things together, and feeling left out at school were essential bridge symptoms in the co-occurrence of loneliness and social anxiety. Bullying victimization had more positive associations with symptoms of social anxiety, and friendship quality had more negative associations with symptoms of loneliness.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings provide preliminary evidence for the comorbidity of loneliness and social anxiety symptoms in adolescents. The results also highlight the potential importance of targeting peer relationships in the prevention and intervention of loneliness and social anxiety symptoms. The combination of longitudinal networks and interventions on bridge symptoms may provide further insight into the development of the links between peer relationships, loneliness, and social anxiety symptoms.

Meager Milk: Lasting Consequences for Adult Daughters of Primiparous Mothers Among Rhesus Macaques (Macaca mulatta)

Among mammals, primipara who initiate reproduction before full maturity can be constrained in their maternal investment, both due to fewer somatic resources and tradeoffs between their own continued development and reproductive effort. Primipara are particularly limited in their capacity to synthesize milk during lactation, the costliest aspect of reproduction for most mammals, especially primates due to long periods of postnatal development. Due to reduced milk transfer, Firstborns may be at elevated risk for long-term consequences of deficits in early life endowment from their primiparous mothers. Here we investigated mass, growth, stature, and lactation performance among N = 273 adult daughters across N = 335 reproductions, who were their own mother's Firstborn or Laterborn progeny, among rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) at the California National Primate Research Center. We further explored mass during infancy of the offspring of Firstborn and Laterborn mothers. Firstborns had accelerated growth during infancy, but had slowed growth during juvenility, compared to Laterborns. Although both Firstborns and Laterborns were the same age at reproductive debut, Firstborns had lower body mass, an effect that persisted throughout the reproductive career. Available milk energy, the product of milk energetic density and milk yield, was on average 16% lower for Firstborns compared to Laterborns, a difference that was only partially mediated by their lower mass. Despite differences in their mothers' energy provision through milk, the mass of infants of Firstborn and Laterborn mothers did not differ at peak lactation, suggesting that infants of Firstborns devote a higher proportion of milk energy to growth than infants of Laterborns. To date few studies have explored how early life conditions shape capacities to synthesize milk and milk composition. Our findings contribute new information among primates on how early life maternal endowments are associated with persistent effects long after the period of maternal dependence well into reproductive maturity.

Reminiscence and Digital Storytelling to Improve the Social and Emotional Well-Being of Older Adults With Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study Design and a Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

Increasing attention is being given to the growing concerns about social isolation, loneliness, and compromised emotional well-being experienced by young adults and older individuals affected by Alzheimer disease and related dementias (ADRD). Studies suggest that reminiscence strategies combined with an intergenerational approach may yield significant social and mental health benefits for participants. Experts also recommended the production of a digital life story book as part of reminiscence. Reminiscence is typically implemented by trained professionals (eg, social workers and nurses); however, there has been growing interest in using trained volunteers owing to staffing shortages and the costs associated with reminiscence programs.

OBJECTIVE

The proposed study will develop and test how reminiscence offered by trained young adult volunteers using a digital storytelling platform may help older adults with ADRD to improve their social and emotional well-being.

METHODS

The proposed project will conduct a randomized controlled trial to assess the effects of the intervention. The older and young adult participants will be randomly assigned to the intervention (reminiscence based) or control groups and then be randomly matched within each group. Data will be collected at baseline before the intervention, in the middle of the intervention, at end of the intervention, and at 3 months after the intervention. An explanatory sequential mixed methods design will be used to take advantage of the strengths of both quantitative and qualitative methods. The quantitative data from surveys will be entered into SPSS and analyzed using covariate-adjusted linear mixed models for repeated measures to compare the intervention and control groups over time on the major outcomes of participants. Conventional content analysis of qualitative interviews will be conducted using data analysis software.

RESULTS

The project was modified to a telephone-based intervention owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. Data collection started in 2020 and ended in 2022. In total, 103 dyads were matched at the beginning of the intervention. Of the 103 dyads, 90 (87.4%) dyads completed the midtest survey and 64 (62.1%) dyads completed the whole intervention and the posttest survey. Although we are still cleaning and finalizing data analyses, the preliminary results from both quantitative and qualitative data showed promising results of this intergenerational reminiscence approach that benefits both the older adults who have cognitive impairments and the young adult participants.

CONCLUSIONS

Intergenerational reminiscence provided by young adult college student offers promising benefits for both the younger and older generations. Future studies may consider scaling up this pilot into a trackable, replicable model that includes more participants with diverse background (eg, public vs private college students and older adults from other agencies) to test the effectiveness of this intervention for older adults with ADRD.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05984732; https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05984732.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/49752.

Equal Opportunities in Aging: Income Level Moderates the Relationship Between Infrequent Participation in Formal Social Activities and Loneliness Among Older Adults

Infrequent participation in formal social activities among older adults increases the risk of loneliness. We examined whether a higher income level moderates the relationship between infrequent participation and loneliness. Utilizing data from wave #6 of the European Health, Aging, and Retirement Survey, we included participants aged 65+ (i.e., older adults), non-participants in the labor force (N = 24 819). Loneliness was measured by the R-UCLA loneliness questionnaire, formal social activity by participation frequency in volunteer/charity activities, educational course/training, sports/social/other clubs, and political/community organizations. Hierarchical multiple regression models examined relationships between variables, controlled by country. Infrequent participation in formal social activity associated with higher risk of loneliness. However, income moderated the association between participation and loneliness; infrequently participating older adults with low-to-moderate income were more vulnerable to loneliness than higher income older adults, for whom infrequent participation did not increase loneliness. This reinforces the need to encourage formal social activity with subsidy for low-to-moderate income older adults.

COVID-19 Pandemic and Internet Addiction in Young Adults: A Pilot Study on Positive and Negative Psychosocial Correlates

Objective

During and after the lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic period, a strain was put on young adults who have taken refuge in the problematic use of internet, social media, gaming, and gambling. This paper aims to investigate possible correlates of Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD), hypothesizing anxiety, depression and perceived stress would promote addiction, while mindfulness skills, resilience and socialization would, conversely, hamper IAD, and promote, consequently, a more functional internet use.

Method

A pilot study was carried out with a sample of 31 young adults, recruited through a snowball sampling using social networks. Participants filled out an online questionnaire including the following measures: Internet Use, Abuse and Addiction (UADI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II); State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-Y); Perceived Stress Scale (PSS); Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ); Mindfulness Attention and Awareness Scale (MAAS); Resilience Scale (RS-14). It was also administered an ad hoc questionnaire for the assessment of socialization behaviour (6 items) and gambling (2 items).

Results

All the measures, but socialization, showed adequate reliability. Our sample showed high levels of anxiety, stress, IA and gambling, while presenting low levels of resilience, the mindful skill of no-reactivity and socialization. The first hypothesis was confirmed, finding positive and significant correlations between Internet Addiction on one side and PSS, STAI-Y1, STAY-2, and BDI II on the other side. We also partially confirmed the second hypothesis about UADI negatively correlated with both RS-14 and Mindful Acting. Finally, no correlations were found between Gambling and IA.

Conclusions

In conclusion, the more one perceives an emotional overload with less stress-control, high anxiety, and depression, and the less one can leverage on the skills of mindful acting and resilience, the more one uses the internet as a strategy to escape from a threatening reality.

Low Motor Dexterity and Significant Behaviors Following Hospitalized Isolation in Children

The main objective of this study was to describe the cortical patterns of brain activity during a gross dexterity task and develop a behavioral profile of children experiencing isolation. A cross-sectional assessment was conducted during one visit. Sample: Four pediatric patients who had undergone isolation within a hospital comprised the full data collection. During the collection, participants completed the Box and Blocks Test of gross manual dexterity while undergoing imaging of the motor cortex using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Participants also completed a Behavioral Assessment System for Children, Third Edition (BASC-3) self-report, which was analyzed along with a parent report to quantify their emotional and social behaviors. All participants displayed lower gross dexterity levels than normative data. Furthermore, three out of the four participants displayed ipsilateral dominance of the motor cortex during the dexterity task. Three of the participants displayed behavioral measures reported within clinically significant or at-risk scores. Clinically significant behavioral scores coupled with lower than expected manual dexterity values and ipsilateral hemispheric dominance indicate that neuroplastic changes can occur in populations undergoing hospitalized isolation. While the impacts of the treatments and isolation in this case cannot be separated, further studies should be conducted to understand these impacts of isolation.

Repercussions of Pandemic and Preventive Measures on General Well-Being, Psychological Health, Physical Fitness, and Health Behavior: Mediating Role of Coping Behavior

Background

Pandemic prevention measures increased physical inactivity due to travel restrictions that led to negative physical fitness, health behavior, psychological health, and general well-being. The mediating role of coping behavior must be identified before developing interventional strategies for this pandemic.

Objective

The study investigates the mediating role of coping behavior to mitigate the Coronavirus disease impact on physical fitness, health behavior, psychological health, and general well-being.

Methods

A web-based survey was used under convenience sampling to collect the primary data. Smart-PLS 3.0 was used to analyze the collected data.

Results

All 14 direct correlations (H1-H14) were correct, and coping behavior's mediating impact was shown to be statistically significant (H9a- H14d).

Conclusion

Our study findings indicate that mediating role of coping behavior in mitigating the pandemic impacts was statistically significant. It is concluded that coping behavior is a healthy adaptation to protecting the barrier against COVID-19 adverse effects on health.

Elevated expression of immune and DNA repair genes in mated queens and kings of the Reticulitermes chinensis termites

Studies have identified that mating induces a series of physiological changes in animals. In this period, males tending to invest more energy, immune peptides, and other substances to reduce the cost of living for females. This results in lower survival rates in later life than females. Meanwhile, both males and females shorten lifespans due to reproduction. However, the reasons why termites' queens and kings are both extremely long-lived and highly fecund are unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the effects of mating on the expression of immune and DNA repair genes for lifespan extension in termite queens and kings. Here, we reported that mated queens show relatively higher expression of immune genes (phenoloxidase, denfensin, termicin, transferrin), antioxidant genes (CAT, SOD), detoxification genes (GST, CYP450) than virgin queens in the Reticulitermes chinensis. In addition, mated kings also highly expressed these genes, except for termicin, transferrin, GST, and CYP450. After mating, both queens and kings significantly upregulated the expression of DNA repair genes (MLH1, BRCA1, XRCC3, RAD54-like). Mismatch repair genes (MMR) MSH2, MSH4, MSH6 were considerably increased in mated queens, while MSH4, MSH5, MSH6 were upregulated in mated kings. Our results suggest that mating increases the expression of immune and DNA repair genes in the termite queens and kings, and thus possibly improving their survival during reproductive span due to the omnipresent pathogens.

An investigation of simulated and real touch on feelings of loneliness

As a social species, humans deprived of contact find loneliness a potentially distressing condition. Recent research emphasises the influence of touch on alleviating loneliness. This research found that touch reduces feelings of neglect, a subscale of loneliness. Affectionate touch, which demonstrates care or affection, has been previously linked to well-being in couples. Here, we investigated whether the effect of simulated touch during a video conversation might be sufficient to influence feelings of loneliness. Sixty participants answered a survey about their home life and relationships, including items that assessed the frequency of touch and feelings of loneliness. Following this, they participated in an online video call with three conditions: audio only, audio and video, or audio, video with simulated touch (a virtual 'high-five'). Finally, immediately after the call, they repeated the loneliness questionnaire. We found that loneliness scores were reduced following the call, but there was no difference among conditions and no effect of a virtual touch. However, we did find a significant association between the frequency of touch in a relationship and the expression of loneliness, with individuals in low-touch relationships having loneliness scores more comparable to single participants than to those in high-touch relationships. Additionally, extraversion played a major role in moderating the effect of touch in relationships. These results emphasise the importance of physical contact in lowering feelings of loneliness within relationships and the ability of calls to lower feelings of loneliness, regardless of whether they include video or simulated touch.

Aerobic Fitness as an Important Moderator Risk Factor for Loneliness in Physically Trained Older People: An Explanatory Case Study Using Machine Learning

BACKGROUND

Loneliness in older people seems to have emerged as an increasingly prevalent social problem.

OBJECTIVE

To apply a machine learning (ML) algorithm to the task of understanding the influence of sociodemographic variables, physical fitness, physical activity levels (PAL), and sedentary behavior (SB) on the loneliness feelings of physically trained older people.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The UCLA loneliness scale was used to evaluate loneliness, the Functional Fitness Test Battery was used to evaluate the correlation of sociodemographic variables, physical fitness, PAL, and SB in the loneliness feelings scores of 23 trained older people (19 women and 4 men). For this purpose, a naive Bayes ML algorithm was applied.

RESULTS

After analysis, we inferred that aerobic fitness (AF), hand grip strength (HG), and upper limb strength (ULS) comprised the most relevant variables panel to cause high participant loneliness with 100% accuracy and F-1 score.

CONCLUSIONS

The naive Bayes algorithm with leave-one-out cross-validation (LOOCV) predicted loneliness in trained older with a high precision. In addition, AF was the most potent variable in reducing loneliness risk.

Longitudinal analyses indicate bidirectional associations between loneliness and health

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate temporal dynamics between loneliness and both objective and subjective health (i.e. functional impairment and self-rated health) in mid- to late-adulthood.

METHOD

We applied bivariate dual-change-score models to longitudinal data from 3 Swedish twin studies (N = 1,939) to explore dynamic associations between loneliness and health across 3 age ranges (50-69, 70-81, and 82+ years) to investigate whether associations between loneliness and health change with age due to increasing incidence of chronic health conditions and bereavement.

RESULTS

Results showed bidirectional associations between loneliness and both objective and subjective health, with adverse impacts of loneliness observed on subsequent subjective and objective health beginning at age 70. Associations between health and subsequent loneliness were observed after age 82 and varied for subjective and objective health, with subjective health associated with less loneliness and objective health associated with greater loneliness.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate dynamic associations between loneliness and health with age in mid- to late-adulthood, with earlier impacts of loneliness on health and later impacts of health on loneliness that vary for objective and subjective measures of health. These findings suggest impacts of health on loneliness may arise later in life when worsening health or mobility interfere with social interaction.

Longitudinal Associations Between Loneliness and Self-Rated Health Among Black and White Older Adults

OBJECTIVES

This study examined the longitudinal association between loneliness and self-rated health (SRH), and whether there were race differences between non-Hispanic Black and White adults in these associations.

METHOD

A total of 1,407 participants were drawn Social Relations Study, a regional study of social relations across the life span with 3 waves of data collection in 1992, 2005, and 2015 (Wave 1, W1: Mage = 50.28, 28% Black, 59% women). Cross-lagged structural equation models examined the association between loneliness and SRH over 3 waves. We adjusted for baseline age, gender, social network size, and depressive symptoms.

RESULTS

There were no race differences in loneliness at any wave. Loneliness W1 was associated with Loneliness W2; Loneliness W2 was associated with Loneliness W3. We had similar findings for associations among SRH. However, only one of the cross-lagged paths was significant. Worse SRH W2 was associated with more Loneliness W3. The only path that varied across race was in the association between SRH W2 and Loneliness W3, and this path was significant only in Whites.

DISCUSSION

Findings indicate that worse SRH at later midlife may increase risk for loneliness in later life, particularly for Whites. As a valid indicator of health, SRH can be used in the body of research on health correlates of loneliness as adults age. Use of the current sample of Black and White adults provides nuanced understanding in the ways in which racially diverse adults experience loneliness and should be useful in refining and developing culturally competent interventions for older adults.

Experience of loneliness on well-being among young individuals: A systematic scoping review

A systematic scoping review was conducted to explore the current evidence on the experience of loneliness influencing well-being among youths. The electronic databases Scopus, APA PsycINFO, Emerald Insight and One Search were used to identify relevant studies, followed by an analysis of the text words contained in the title and abstract, and of the index terms used to describe the article. Reference lists of all shortlisted articles were searched for additional studies. 20 studies (quantitative, qualitative and mixed) published in the English language were identified for inclusion. Findings illustrate that the experience of loneliness is a complex, evolutionary process influenced by relational and environmental factors. Results from the studies identified factors that promote lower experience of loneliness and better well-being in future life stages. Future research can substantiate the issues related to young individuals being socially isolated from others for a prolonged duration.

Promoting Positive Social Interactions: Recommendation for a Post-Pandemic School-Based Intervention for Social Anxiety

The purpose of this perspective article is to identify problematic behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic and recommend a school-based intervention (e.g., self-reflection, motivational interview, and workbook) to address post-COVID social anxiety among children and adolescents. The recommendations involve comparing students’ social interaction behaviors pre-pandemic, during the pandemic, and post-pandemic, and evaluating any behavioral changes in social relationships six months later. We also discuss the evaluation criteria and surveys used to assess the impact of the intervention on behavioral changes. Our evaluation criteria are based on students’ beliefs and abilities and aim to demonstrate that the intervention improves in-person social interactions and helps students adapt to the transition back to school. The proposed perspectives and strategies of the intervention can be modified to meet the needs of the researchers and professionals. By working together, global policymakers from the fields of education and public health can create school-based interventions that enhance students’ physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. This program aims to mitigate the negative effects of school closures and social isolation and to broaden the role of schools in supporting students in the challenging post-pandemic world by addressing their holistic needs.

Exploring the trajectory and correlates of social isolation for veterans across a 6-month period during COVID-19

Social isolation is a relevant problem for veterans who are at risk for disengaging from others as a function of transition stress from military life to civilian life, and given high rates of exposure to trauma and psychological distress. Few researchers have examined social isolation in veterans over time, particularly during COVID-19 that led to significant barriers and restrictions on social interactions. The purpose of this longitudinal study was to assess veterans' experience of social isolation and its mental health and social functioning correlates during a 6-month period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were 188 United States veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. A total of four assessments were administered: one every two months for a total duration of six months. The average number of completed assessments across all participants was 3.70 (SD = 0.75) with 159 participants (84.13%) completing all four timepoints. Surveys included measures of global mental health and social functioning as indicated by perceived emotional support, quality of marriage, and couple satisfaction. Multilevel modeling was used to assess 1) growth models to determine whether social isolation changed over time and the trajectory of that change (i.e., linear or quadratic); and 2) whether social isolation was related to both concurrent and prospective indicators of mental health and social functioning. All analyses included person mean centered and grand mean centered isolation to assess for within-and between-person effects. Veterans reported a quadratic trajectory in social isolation that decreased slightly and stabilized over time. Findings indicate that higher social isolation, at both the within- and between-person level, was negatively associated with concurrent emotional support, mental health, quality of marriage, and couple satisfaction. However, all prospective effects were nonsignificant at the within-person level. Results suggest although isolation may decrease over time, veterans report worse mental health and social functioning during times when they report higher levels of social isolation compared to themselves and others. Future work is needed to determine if interventions can be applied during those times to prevent or target those negative associations.

Family functioning and mobile phone addiction in university students: Mediating effect of loneliness and moderating effect of capacity to be alone

Background

With the increasing popularity of smartphones, mobile phone addiction in university students has attracted widespread societal attention. Previous studies showed that family functioning and mobile phone addiction are related. However, the potential mechanisms involved in this relationship are unknown. This study examined the mediating effect of loneliness and the moderating effect of capacity to be alone on the relationship between family functioning and mobile phone addiction.

Methods

A total of 1,580 university students were recruited. A cross-sectional study design and online questionnaire survey were employed to measure demographic variables, family functioning, loneliness, capacity to be alone, and mobile phone addiction in university students.

Results

Family functioning is a significantly negative predictor of mobile phone addiction in university students, and loneliness has a mediating effect on the relationship between family functioning and mobile phone addiction. The capacity to be alone has moderating effects on the relationship between family functioning and loneliness and between family functioning and mobile phone addiction, and these correlation is stronger in university students with a low capacity to be alone.

Conclusion

The moderated mediation model in this study improves understanding of the correlation between family functioning and mobile phone addiction in university students. Education professionals and parents should pay particular attention to family functioning in mobile phone addiction, particularly university students with low capacity to be alone.

Are depression, resilience and fear of COVID-19 related to eating behavior and nutrition status of university students?

OBJECTIVES

This study was designed to examine eating behaviors and their association with fear and depression states concerning COVID-19 among students in Turkey.

METHODS

A total number of 499 students, 336 (67.3%) female and 163 (32.7%) male, participated in an online-based cross-sectional study. The survey collected data on the Dutch eating behavior questionnaire (DEBQ), along with measuring psychological effect by using the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, and Brief Resilience Scale. In addition, 24-h dietary records were used to calculate the daily energy and macronutrient intakes in the study.

RESULTS

A negative correlation between brief resilience and fear of COVID-19 was found. Total and subdomain DEBQ scores were positively correlated with fear of COVID-19; conversely, there was a negative correlation with brief resilience (P < 0.05). More than half (58.9%) of students had depression, and students who had moderate and severe depression had higher total DEBQ and emotional eating scores. Students with severe depression had the highest levels of fear of COVID-19. Students having higher daily energy intake had greater fear concerning COVID-19, and the daily energy intake was negatively correlated with restrained and external eating.

CONCLUSIONS

During the pandemic, negative psychological effects resulted in unfavorable dietary behavioral consequences, depending on the increasing levels of stress.