Abstract:Purpose
Social isolation has negative effects on physical and brain health across the lifespan. However, the prevalence of social isolation, specifically with regard to sociodemographic and socioeconomic factors, is not well known.
Methods
Database was the Leipzig population-based study of adults (LIFE-Adult Study, n = 10,000). The short form of the Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS-6) was used to assess social isolation (cutoff < 12 points). Sampling w… Show more
“…Interestingly, the middle-aged (40–59 years old) group exhibits the lowest LSNS-6 values, yielding an “U”-shaped curve of LSNS-6 scores, as shown in Fig. 1 a and d. In our data data, 29.54% of the individuals aged 50–59 years old report being socially isolated, a figure significantly larger than what has been previously presented in the literature prior to the pandemic 30 . Figure 1 Average LSNS-6 ( a ), LSNS-6 Friends ( b ) and LSNS-6 Family ( c ) scores per age group.…”
Section: Resultssupporting
confidence: 37%
“…Beyond Spain, a recent German study analysed social isolation data from a sample of 9392 adults (aged 18–79 years old) collected between August 2011 and November 2014. It reports a prevalence of social isolation in their sample of 12.3% 30 . The average LSNS-6 score in their sample was 17.6 ( ).…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 97%
“…retirement, loss of a partner, relatives and friends) and ageism in society 11 , 26 – 28 . Beyond the elder population, there are few studies that have assessed the prevalence of social isolation in the general population prior to the COVID-19 pandemic 29 , 30 .…”
Since March of 2020, billions of people worldwide have been asked to limit their social contacts in an effort to contain the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. However, little research has been carried out to date on the impact of such social distancing measures on the social isolation levels of the population. In this paper, we study the impact of the pandemic on the social isolation of the Spanish population, by means of 32,359 answers to a citizen survey collected over a period of 7 months. We uncover (1) a significant increase in the prevalence of social isolation in the population, reaching almost 26%; (2) gender and age differences, with the largest prevalence of isolation among middle-aged individuals; (3) a strong relationship between economic impact and social isolation; and (4) differences in social isolation, depending on the number of COVID-19 protection measures and on the perception of coronavirus infection risk by our participants. Our research sheds quantitative light on the sociological impact of the pandemic, and enables us to identify key factors in the interplay between the deployment of non-pharmaceutical interventions to contain the spread of an infectious disease and a population’s levels of social isolation.
“…Interestingly, the middle-aged (40–59 years old) group exhibits the lowest LSNS-6 values, yielding an “U”-shaped curve of LSNS-6 scores, as shown in Fig. 1 a and d. In our data data, 29.54% of the individuals aged 50–59 years old report being socially isolated, a figure significantly larger than what has been previously presented in the literature prior to the pandemic 30 . Figure 1 Average LSNS-6 ( a ), LSNS-6 Friends ( b ) and LSNS-6 Family ( c ) scores per age group.…”
Section: Resultssupporting
confidence: 37%
“…Beyond Spain, a recent German study analysed social isolation data from a sample of 9392 adults (aged 18–79 years old) collected between August 2011 and November 2014. It reports a prevalence of social isolation in their sample of 12.3% 30 . The average LSNS-6 score in their sample was 17.6 ( ).…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 97%
“…retirement, loss of a partner, relatives and friends) and ageism in society 11 , 26 – 28 . Beyond the elder population, there are few studies that have assessed the prevalence of social isolation in the general population prior to the COVID-19 pandemic 29 , 30 .…”
Since March of 2020, billions of people worldwide have been asked to limit their social contacts in an effort to contain the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. However, little research has been carried out to date on the impact of such social distancing measures on the social isolation levels of the population. In this paper, we study the impact of the pandemic on the social isolation of the Spanish population, by means of 32,359 answers to a citizen survey collected over a period of 7 months. We uncover (1) a significant increase in the prevalence of social isolation in the population, reaching almost 26%; (2) gender and age differences, with the largest prevalence of isolation among middle-aged individuals; (3) a strong relationship between economic impact and social isolation; and (4) differences in social isolation, depending on the number of COVID-19 protection measures and on the perception of coronavirus infection risk by our participants. Our research sheds quantitative light on the sociological impact of the pandemic, and enables us to identify key factors in the interplay between the deployment of non-pharmaceutical interventions to contain the spread of an infectious disease and a population’s levels of social isolation.
“…The total score ranged from 0 to 30 points, with higher scores indicating a larger social network and <12 points indicating SI. An LSNS-6 score of <12 points varied strongly related to sociodemographic and socioeconomic factors [ 24 ], while the score predicted depression and the development of poor physical capability [ 25 ]. The Cronbach α coefficient of the LSNS-6 for our data in phase 1 was .859.…”
Background
Lockdowns and stay-at-home orders announced internationally for COVID-19 have led to physical and social distancing, with reports of many individuals experiencing social isolation (SI) and loneliness. Although the emergency declaration in Japan was declared as a “mild” lockdown requested by the government without penalties for violations, the lockdown measures, including SI, had several influences on people’s lives and mental health as in other countries. Furthermore, Japan declared a state of emergency multiple times; thus, it is necessary to examine the influence of the transition of SI caused by repeated emergency declarations and the deterioration of mental health associated with these changes.
Objective
This study longitudinally investigated the transition of SI and its related factors during the mild lockdown under 2 declared states of emergency in Japan and analyzed psychosocial characteristics by extracting clusters where people with specific transition patterns of SI predominated.
Methods
We collected data on 7893 inhabitants (3694 [46.8%] women, 49.6 [SD 13.7] years old) living in the 7 prefectures where the initial emergency declaration was applied. The investigations took place online in the final phase of the first and second states of emergency: phase 1 (between May 11 and 12, 2020) and phase 2 (between February 24 and 28, 2021). Nonparametric Bayesian coclustering was used to visualize the exhaustive interaction structure between the transition pattern of SI and the psychosocial variables.
Results
There were no improvements in social networks and loneliness between the 2 phases, although psychological distress significantly improved and depression slightly decreased. Overall, 3868 (49%) of the 7893 participants remained socially isolated through phases 1 and 2, and 947 (12%) were socially isolated in phase 2, even though they were not socially isolated in phase 1. More participants experienced persistent SI in unmarried, childless, and low-household-income groups. The persistent-SI group had fewer cohabitants than other transition pattern groups. The nonparametric Bayesian coclustering results showed that most clusters, including participants without SI throughout phases 1 and 2, had healthy behaviors, more interactions, good relationships, and less loneliness and psychological stress. Furthermore, the cluster in which relationships deteriorated in phase 1 recovered in phase 2. Comparatively, the clusters with SI throughout phases 1 and 2 were divided into clusters with increased loneliness and psychological stress; clusters were close to participants’ average scores in this study. The clusters with increased loneliness and psychological stress were notable for deteriorating relationships and less online interaction.
Conclusions
This study revealed the actual state of transition of SI and related psychological, social, and behavioral factors under repeated declarations of a state of emergency. These results should help construct intervention methods that fit individual characteristics of people in SI during a pandemic.
“…The prevalence of loneliness in the general population has ranged from 10% to 27% in the United States, Europe, and Japan [2,3]. A cross-sectional study in Germany revealed that approximately 5.4% of adults aged 18-39 years were socially isolated [4]. Loneliness and social isolation negatively impact mental and physical health and wellbeing, increasing the consumption of health care resources and affecting economic development by reducing employee health [5].Recent studies have shown that about 4 out of 10 American physicians of different specialties report some degree of loneliness [6,7].…”
Introduction and objectives: Although loneliness and social isolation are growing public health concerns, there is little knowledge of the experience of medical residents who are usually young adults. We aimed to explore the prevalence and associated risk factors of loneliness and social isolation in medical residents.Method: A multi-center cross-sectional study that included 1,338 medical residents from eight centers in China was conducted in February 2020. A self-report questionnaire was used to record participants’ demographic characteristics, dietary habits, life-related factors, work-related factors, and psychological outcomes. Loneliness and isolation were measured using the Revised UCLA loneliness scale. Multiple logistic analysis was used to determine the adjusted odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals.Results: The effective response rate was 87.28% (1,338/1,533). Of the respondents, 24.40% reported loneliness and 44.50% reported social isolation. Three shared independent factors for loneliness and social isolation were identified: sleep quality (OR = 1.189; OR = 1.197; P < 0.001 for both), marital status (married vs. single, OR = 0.565, P = 0.007; OR = 0.486, P = 0.022) and perceived organization support (OR = 0.966; OR = 0.970, P < 0.001 for both).Conclusions: There is considerable prevalence of loneliness and social isolation among medical residents in China. Poor sleep quality, singlehood, and the absence of organizational support are shared risk factors for both loneliness and social isolation. Policymakers are encouraged to develop comprehensive strategies for preventing loneliness and social isolation.
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