Social Activity, Social Isolation and Ethnicity

Platt, Lucinda

doi:10.1111/j.1467-954x.2009.01867.x

Cited by 17 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…Older Malays were less likely to be at risk of social isolation than other ethnic groups such as Chinese and Indians. This finding supports the results from previous studies . It has been suggested that ethnicity may moderate the relationship between sociodemographic factors and social isolation …”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Social isolation in older Malaysians: prevalence and risk factors

2013

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Background: Social isolation is one of the most important emerging issues among ageing populations, as it reduces well-being, health and quality of life. The purpose of this study was to identify prevalence and risk factors of social isolation in older Malaysians. Methods: The sample for this study was drawn from a national survey entitled 'Patterns of Social Relationships and Psychological Well-Being among Older Persons in Peninsular Malaysia'. Social isolation was measured with the Lubben Social Network Scale. Results:The findings from the present study showed that 49.8% of older Malaysians are at risk for social isolation. The results of logistic regression analysis revealed that the number of sons, number of brothers, number of sisters, household size, self-rated health, place of residence, homeownership, sex and ethnicity were significantly associated with social isolation. Conclusion: These findings may have some implications for social and health-care policymakers in planning and developing new and effective interventions such as educational programmes to reduce social isolation among this vulnerable population

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Social isolation in older Malaysians: prevalence and risk factors

2013

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“…At the individual level, certain personal characteristics and life-course transitions have been associated with a higher risk of social isolation. The former includes: being 75 years and over [11], living or spending a significant amount of time alone [11], having limited financial resources [12], having psychological vulnerabilities such as a learning disability [13], belonging to certain minority groups [14], language barriers [15,16], and having no children [1,16]. Life-course transitions associated with social isolation include: a decline in general health including poor vision or loss of hearing [11,12], physical disability or loss of mobility [12], receiving a diagnosis of dementia [17], retirement [18], loss of income [12], losing the ability to drive [19], moving to a care home [12,18], losing a partner [18], becoming a caregiver [18], and having children leave home especially if they move a long distance away [11].…”

Section: Risk Factors For Social Isolationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Preventing social isolation in older people

2018

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The extent of social isolation amongst older people has emerged as a major concern for health and social policy. Although the social and health outcomes of social isolation are well documented, evidence regarding the prevention of isolation in later life remains scarce. This article addresses this by presenting the findings from a literature review focusing on the identification, assessment, prevention, and intervention strategies relevant to social isolation in older age. The paper first addresses the issues of identification and assessment, using an ecological framework to identify the risk factors for social isolation at four levels: individual, relationship, community, and societal. It then reviews different types of interventions to reduce or prevent social isolation in later life, including one-to-one, group, service provision, technology-based, neighbourhood, and structural interventions. The paper discusses both the opportunities and the constraints associated with these different approaches. The discussion highlights future directions for research, emphasising the need for a cultural change from 'cure' to 'prevention' of social isolation across the life-course, and the importance of acknowledging greater diversity within the ageing population.

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“…The Count Me In Census of inpatients in mental health units in 2009(Care Quality Commission & National Mental Health Development Unit, 2010, estimated that the age-and sex-standardised rates for admission for Pakistani women (2009, standardised ratio [SR] = 65, confidence interval [CI] = 53-79; 2010, SR = 70, CI = 57-84) were less than for white British women (2009, SR = 94, CI = 93-96; 2010, SR = 95, CI = 93-96) and less than the average rates (100) for women. However, the results from the years 2005 to 2008 suggested that the rates of admission for Pakistani women were no different from the average.…”

Section: Inpatient Servicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pakistani women's use of mental health services and the role of social networks: a systematic review of quantitative and qualitative research

Kapadia

Brooks

Nazroo

et al. 2015

Health Soc Care Community

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Pakistani women in the UK are an at‐risk group with high levels of mental health problems, but low levels of mental health service use. However, the rates of service use for Pakistani women are unclear, partly because research with South Asian women has been incorrectly generalised to Pakistani women. Further, this research has been largely undertaken within an individualistic paradigm, with little consideration of patients’ social networks, and how these may drive decisions to seek help. This systematic review aimed to clarify usage rates, and describe the nature of Pakistani women's social networks and how they may influence mental health service use. Ten journal databases (ASSIA, CINAHL Plus, EMBASE, HMIC, IBSS, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Social Sciences Abstracts, Social Science Citation Index and Sociological Abstracts) and six sources of grey literature were searched for studies published between 1960 and the end of March 2014. Twenty‐one studies met inclusion criteria. Ten studies (quantitative) reported on inpatient or outpatient service use between ethnic groups. Seven studies (four quantitative, three qualitative) investigated the nature of social networks, and four studies (qualitative) commented on how social networks were involved in accessing mental health services. Pakistani women were less likely than white (British) women to use most specialist mental health services. No difference was found between Pakistani and white women for the consultation of general practitioners for mental health problems. Pakistani women's networks displayed high levels of stigmatising attitudes towards mental health problems and mental health services, which acted as a deterrent to seeking help. No studies were found which compared stigma in networks between Pakistani women and women of other ethnic groups. Pakistani women are at a considerable disadvantage in gaining access to and using statutory mental health services, compared with white women; this, in part, is due to negative attitudes to mental health problems evident in social support networks.

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Social Activity, Social Isolation and Ethnicity

Cited by 17 publications

References 53 publications

Social isolation in older Malaysians: prevalence and risk factors

Social isolation in older Malaysians: prevalence and risk factors

Preventing social isolation in older people

Pakistani women's use of mental health services and the role of social networks: a systematic review of quantitative and qualitative research

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