scholarly journals Social relationships and depression during the COVID-19 lockdown: longitudinal analysis of the COVID-19 social study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Sommerlad ◽  
Louise Marston ◽  
Jonathan Huntley ◽  
Gill Livingston ◽  
Gemma Lewis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Perspective Taking ◽  
Odds Ratio ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Social Study ◽  
Empathic Concern ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Contact Frequency

AbstractBackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic led to social and physical distancing measures that reduced social contact and support. We explored whether people with more frequent and supportive social contact had fewer depressive symptoms during the UK Spring 2020 ‘lockdown’, whether this applied to face-to-face and remote electronic contact, and whether people with higher empathy levels, or more frequent pre-COVID social contact with others were more protected.MethodsUK dwelling participants aged ≥18 in the internet-based longitudinal COVID-19 Social Study completed up to 22 weekly questionnaires about frequency of face-to-face and phone/video social contact, perceived social support, and depressive symptoms assessed with the patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9). Mixed linear models examined associations between social contact and support, and depressive symptoms. We examined for interaction by empathic concern and perspective taking and pre-COVID social contact frequency.ResultsIn 71,117 people with mean age 49 years (standard deviation 15) we found that daily face-to-face or phone/video contact was associated with lower PHQ-9 scores (mean difference 0.258 (95% confidence interval 0.225, 0.290) and 0.117 (0.080, 0.154) respectively) compared to having no contact. Those with high social support scored 1.836 (1.801, 1.871) PHQ-9 points lower than those with low support. The odds ratio for depression for those with daily face-to-face social contact compared to no face-to-face contact was 0.712 (0.678, 0.747). Daily compared to no phone/video contact was associated with odds ratio for depression 0.825 (0.779, 0.873). And reporting high, compared to low, social support was associated with 0.145 (95%CI 0.138, 0.152) odds ratio for depression. The negative association between social relationships and depressive symptoms was stronger for those with high empathic concern, perspective taking and usual sociability.ConclusionsThose who had more face-to-face contact during lockdown had fewer depressive symptoms. Phone or video communication were beneficial but less so. People who were usually more sociable or had higher empathy were more likely to have depressive symptoms during enforced reduced social contact. Results have implications both for our management of COVID-19 and potential future pandemics, and for our understanding of the relationship between social factors and mental health.

scholarly journals Social relationships and depression during the COVID-19 lockdown: longitudinal analysis of the COVID-19 Social Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Andrew Sommerlad ◽  
Louise Marston ◽  
Jonathan Huntley ◽  
Gill Livingston ◽  
Gemma Lewis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Perspective Taking ◽  
Perceived Social Support ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Social Study ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Contact Frequency ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to measures that reduced social contact and support. We explored whether UK residents with more frequent or supportive social contact had fewer depressive symptoms during March−August 2020, and potential factors moderating the relationship. Methods A convenience sample of UK dwelling participants aged ⩾18 in the internet-based longitudinal COVID-19 Social Study completed up to 22 weekly questionnaires about face-to-face and phone/video social contact frequency, perceived social support, and depressive symptoms using the PHQ-9. Mixed linear models examined associations between social contact and support, and depressive symptoms. We examined for interaction by empathic concern, perspective taking and pre-COVID social contact frequency. Results In 71 117 people with mean age 49 years (standard deviation 15), those with high perceived social support scored 1.836 (1.801–1.871) points lower on PHQ-9 than those with low support. Daily face-to-face or phone/video contact was associated with lower depressive symptoms (0.258 (95% confidence interval 0.225–0.290) and 0.117 (0.080–0.154), respectively) compared to no contact. The negative association between social relationships and depressive symptoms was stronger for those with high empathic concern, perspective taking and usual sociability. Conclusions We found during lockdown that those with higher quality or more face-to-face or phone/video contact had fewer depressive symptoms. Contact quality was more strongly associated than quantity. People who were usually more sociable or had higher empathy had more depressive symptoms during enforced reduced contact. The results have implications for COVID-19 and potential future pandemic management, and for understanding the relationship between social factors and mental health.

scholarly journals FACE-TO-FACE AND FACEBOOK ACROSS THE LIFESPAN: SOCIAL INTERACTIONS BUFFER STRESS ON MOOD, BUT ONLY FOR ADOLESCENTS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S694-S695
Author(s):  
Yin Liu ◽  
Elizabeth B Fauth ◽  
Myles Maxey ◽  
Troy Beckert
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
Stress Reactivity ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Developmental Differences ◽  
Stress Appraisal ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Social support serves as a protective factor, buffering stress in both adolescents and adults, however Socioemotional Selectivity Theory suggests developmental differences in stress reactivity and social support. It is unclear how modern forms of social contact, such as social media buffer stress, and the extent to which this differs across the lifespan. We utilized ecological momentary data to examine the moderating effects of age and two distinct types of social contacts the person had experienced in prior hours (frequency of face-to-face, or social media contacts) on the association between daily stress and momentary mood. Participants were recruited initially through Amazon.com’s Mechanical Turk (adolescents referred by a parent). A total of 119 adolescent (n = 44; Agemean= 15.73) and middle-aged/older adult participants (n = 75; Agemean= 59.67) provided momentary data three times a day, on three consecutive days, every two weeks, for up to 12 weeks. Multi-level models showed significant 3-way interactions between stress appraisal of avoiding an argument, age group, and frequency of social contact via face-to-face (β = 1.698, se = 0.542, p = .002) and social media (β = 3.341, se = 0.984, p = .001). Older adults experienced better mood than adolescents. When avoiding an argument was appraised as more stressful, both age groups displayed worse mood. Whereas high levels of recent social contact (both face-to-face and social media) seemed to exacerbate the impact of this stressor on poorer mood for older persons, high levels of recent social contact, particularly social media, had stress-buffering benefits for adolescents.

Empathic abilities and their mediators in Tunisian psychiatry trainees

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 317-330
Author(s):  
Bochra Nourhene Saguem ◽  
Zeineb Bouzaâbia ◽  
Amel Braham ◽  
Selma Ben Nasr
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Perspective Taking ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Empathic Concern ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Reactivity Index ◽  
Professional Activity ◽  
Personal Distress ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The purpose of this paper was to assess empathy dimensions in Tunisian psychiatry trainees and to evaluate their relationship with relevant professional and extra-professional factors. Design/methodology/approach An online questionnaire survey was administered to the psychiatry trainees affiliated in the four faculties of medicine of Tunisia (n = 120). It comprised, in addition to sociodemographic and professional variables, the interpersonal reactivity index, a multidimensional instrument that evaluates perspective taking, empathic concern, personal distress and fantasy. Other self-report measures were used to assess emotion regulation, social support and self-efficacy. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Findings The response rate was 71%. Descriptive statistics showed that personal distress’ scores were lower than the other empathy dimensions’ scores. Perspective taking scores were negatively correlated with emotion regulation difficulties. Personal distress scores were positively correlated with emotion regulation difficulties. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that being an only child significantly contributed to perspective taking and having an extra-professional activity significantly contributed to less personal distress. Perceived stress, social support and having a master’s degree were significant predictors for empathic concern. Self-efficacy was a significant predictor of perspective taking, with emotion regulation difficulties mediating this relationship. Practical implications Interventions dedicated to improve psychiatry trainees’ empathy should focus not only on clinical practice and medical education but also on emotional support and recovery activities. Originality/value A unique feature of this study is the investigation of the potential impacts of emotion regulation difficulties and perceived self-efficacy on empathic abilities of psychiatry trainees.

Association of coping strategies with mental health trajectories during the first twenty-one weeks of COVID-19 lockdown

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meg Fluharty ◽  
Feifei Bu ◽  
Andrew Steptoe ◽  
Daisy Fancourt
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Social Study ◽  
Mental Health Symptoms ◽  
Health Symptoms ◽  
Health Trajectories ◽  
Over Time

The negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health is well evidenced. However, there is little research on how individuals’ coping strategies during the pandemic were related to changes in mental health over time. The current study used data from the COVID-19 Social Study (N=26,505) to explore whether particular coping strategies (problem-focused, emotion-focused, avoidant, and supportive) were associated with (i) better mental health as lockdown was introduced, and (ii) faster recovery from symptoms across 21 weeks. People with greater use of problem-focused, avoidant, and supportive coping displayed more mental health symptoms, while greater use of emotion-focused coping was associated with fewer mental health symptoms. Symptoms decreased over time for all coping strategies, but only supportive coping was associated with a faster decrease in anxiety and depressive symptoms, indicating a potential protective effect of social support on psychological distress.

The Association of Biological and Psychological Attributions for Depression with Social Support Seeking Intentions in Individuals with Depressive Symptoms

2012 ◽  
Vol 40 (5) ◽  
pp. 605-617 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca K. Blais ◽  
Keith D. Renshaw
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Informal Support ◽  
Professional Help ◽  
Lower Likelihood ◽  
Social Support Seeking ◽  
Support Seeking

Background: Research suggests that biological and psychological attributions for depression are related to professional help-seeking, but the association of these attributions with informal support seeking in social relationships is unknown. As social support is linked with recovery from depression and a lower likelihood of experiencing future episodes of depression, it is important to understand factors that influence an individual's decision to seek social support. Aims: The present study examined depressed individuals’ own attributions for their depressive symptoms (i.e. personal attributions), perceptions of a friend's attributions for these symptoms (i.e. perceived attributions), and the depressed individuals’ willingness to seek social support from that friend. Method: Eighty-six individuals experiencing at least mild depressive symptoms completed self-report measures of personal attributions, perceived attributions, and a social support seeking intentions scale. Results: Participants’ own attributions for depressive symptoms were unrelated to their willingness to seek social support. In contrast, perceived biological attributions were related to greater help-seeking intentions, whereas perceived psychological attributions were associated with lower support seeking intentions. Conclusions: These results suggest that decisions to seek social support are more influenced by perceptions of others’ beliefs about depression than one's own beliefs.

scholarly journals Social Relationships and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Among Postmenopausal Women

2019 ◽  
Vol 75 (7) ◽  
pp. 1597-1608 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Hendryx ◽  
Wanda Nicholson ◽  
JoAnn E Manson ◽  
Candyce H Kroenke ◽  
Jennifer Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Postmenopausal Women ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Social Relationship ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Stressful Life ◽  
Social Strain

Abstract Objectives We examined whether social relationship variables (social support, social strain, social network size, and stressful life events) were associated with risk of developing type 2 diabetes among postmenopausal women. Method 139,924 postmenopausal women aged 50–79 years without prevalent diabetes at baseline were followed for a mean of 14 years. 19,240 women developed diabetes. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models tested associations between social relationship variables and diabetes incidence after consideration of demographics, depressive symptoms, and lifestyle behaviors. We also examined moderating effects of obesity and race/ethnicity, and we tested whether social variable associations were mediated by lifestyle or depressive symptoms. Results Compared with the lowest quartile, women in the highest social support quartile had lower risk of diabetes after adjusting for demographic factors, health behaviors, and depressive symptoms (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.93, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.89–0.97). Social strain (HR = 1.09, 95% CI = 1.04–1.13) and stressful life events (HR = 1.10, 95% CI = 1.05–1.15) were associated with higher diabetes risks. The association between diabetes and social strain was stronger among African American women. Social relationship variables had direct relationships to diabetes, as well as indirect effects partially mediated by lifestyle and depressive symptoms. Discussion Social support, social strain, and stressful life events were associated with diabetes risk among postmenopausal women independently of demographic factors and health behaviors. In addition to healthy behaviors such as diet and physical activity, healthy social relationships among older women may be important in the prevention of diabetes.

scholarly journals Association Between Social Relationships, Depressive Symptoms, Food Security, Usual Protein Intake and Healthcare Utilization in Homebound Older Adults: A PATH Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 49-49
Author(s):  
Fayrouz Sakr-Ashour ◽  
Edwina Wambogo ◽  
Nadine Sahyoun
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Protein Intake ◽  
Evaluation Study ◽  
Funding Sources ◽  
Instrumental Social Support ◽  
Outcomes Evaluation ◽  
Homebound Older Adults

Abstract Objectives This study aimed to measure the direct and indirect relationships between food insecurity (FI), dietary intake (DI), social relationships (SR), depressive symptoms (DS) and their impact on healthcare utilization (HU) in older adults receiving home-delivered meals (HDM) using data from the national 2015–17 Outcomes Evaluation Study. Methods The 2015–2017 Outcomes Evaluation Study is a multistage, clustered, longitudinal observational study of 641 older adults; 306 HDM recipients, and 335 matching controls. Study participants were homebound older adults aged 67 years and older. Measurements: Demographic, health-related, dietary and hospitalization data were obtained using a Client Outcomes Survey, 24-hour dietary recalls and Medicare files. Structural equation modeling was used to measure the direct and indirect relationships between FI, SR, DS, HU and DI (usual protein intake), estimated using the National Cancer Institute's statistical modeling method. Results HDM recipients’ mean usual protein intake (34.0 grams) was significantly higher than controls (31.8 grams), but both groups had mean usual protein intakes that were lower than recommendations. FI prevalence in HDM recipients and controls was 25.1% and 16.0%; respectively. Greater severity of FI was associated with lower usual protein intake in both groups. Receiving instrumental social support was directly associated with lesser severity of FI in HDM recipients, and higher FI was associated with more DS only in controls. Eating alone was associated with lower usual protein intake and greater hospitalizations in the controls. Conclusions HDM recipients and controls may be at a high risk for protein insufficiency, further underscored by the high prevalence of FI. Received instrumental social support can play an important role among HDM recipients and controls, both vulnerable populations. Findings also highlight the need for validated tools to measure different aspects of social relationships in older adults. Funding Sources No funding sources to declare.

Association of social relationships with depressive symptoms: Testing an alternative to social support.

1992 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Franks ◽  
Cleveland Shields ◽  
Thomas Campbell ◽  
Susan McDaniel ◽  
Jeffrey Harp ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Social Relationships

Structural and Functional Aspects of Social Relationships and Episodic Memory: Between-Person and Within-Person Associations in Middle-Aged and Older Adults

Gerontology ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Gizem Hülür
Keyword(s):  
Social Network ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Family Relationships ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Functional Health ◽  
Functional Aspects ◽  
Contact Frequency

<b><i>Objectives:</i></b> A growing body of research has documented associations between social relationships and cognitive function, while findings are less clear regarding specific aspects of social relationships that are relevant to change in cognitive function. Furthermore, it is unclear whether associations differ at the between-person and within-person levels. <b><i>Method:</i></b> The present study used 8-year longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) to examine the role of structural (partnered/married, number of social network partners, and contact frequency) as well as functional (support, strain, and loneliness) aspects of social relationships for episodic memory at the between-person and within-person levels. Analyses are based on up to 3 waves of data from 19,297 participants (mean age at baseline = 66 years, SD = 10, range = 50–104; 58% women). Control variables include age at baseline, gender, education, functional health, and depressive symptoms. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Findings showed that at the between-person level, most structural and functional aspects were related to levels of memory performance, with participants with higher numbers of social network members, more frequent contact, and more positive experiences outperforming others. An exception was a higher number of family (child or relative) relationships. At the within-person level, on occasions where participants had a higher number of close family relationships than usual, had more social contact than usual, and felt less lonely than usual, they also showed higher than usual episodic memory performance. Finally, negative effects of social strain and loneliness on episodic memory performance at the between-person level were moderated by social network size, indicating that effects were more negative among individuals with larger social networks. <b><i>Discussion:</i></b> Both structural and functional aspects of social relationships contribute to between-person differences in levels and fluctuations of episodic memory performance. Ups and downs of relationships to relatives, social contact, and feelings of loneliness contribute to ups and downs of episodic memory. Potential mechanisms underlying these associations are discussed.

scholarly journals The interaction between social factors and adversities on self-harm during the COVID-19 pandemic: longitudinal analysis of 49 227 UK adults

BJPsych Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elise Paul ◽  
Daisy Fancourt
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Social Factors ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Social Study ◽  
Support Network ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Self Harm ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Over Time

Background Little is known about which factors exacerbate and buffer the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related adversities on changes in thinking about and engaging in self-harm over time. Aims To examine how changes in four social factors contribute to changes in self-harm thoughts and behaviours over time and how these factors in turn interact with adversities and worries about adversities to increase risk for these outcomes. Method Data from 49 227 UK adults in the UCL COVID-19 Social Study were analysed across the first 59 weeks of the pandemic. Fixed-effects logistic regressions examined time-varying associations between social support quality, loneliness, number of days of face-to-face contact for >15 min and number of days phoning/video calling for ≥15 min with self-harm thoughts and behaviours. We then examined how these four factors in turn interacted with the total number of adversities and worries about adversity and how this affected outcomes. Results Increases in the quality of social support were associated with decreases in the likelihood of both outcomes, whereas greater loneliness was associated with an increase in their likelihood. Associations were less clear for telephone/video contact and face-to-face contact with outcomes. Social support buffered and loneliness exacerbated the impact of adversity experiences on self-harm behaviours. Conclusions These findings suggest the importance of the quality of one's social support network, rather than the mere presence of contact, for reducing the likelihood of self-harm behaviours in the context of COVID-19 pandemic-related adversity and worry.

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