scholarly journals Loneliness and social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review enriched with empirical evidence from a large-scale diary study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne Buecker ◽  
Kai Tobias Horstmann
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Empirical Investigation ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Psychological Consequences ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Quantitative Studies

The outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic has drastically altered people’s lives. Loneliness and social isolation were publicly discussed as possible psychological consequences of the measures taken to slow the virus spread. These public discussions have sparked a surge in empirical studies on loneliness and social isolation. In this study, we first provide a systematic review synthesizing recent literature on the prevalence and correlates of loneliness and social isolation during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic (k = 53 studies). We found that most quantitative studies included in the systematic review were cross-sectional. The few longitudinal studies mainly reported increases in loneliness, especially when the pre-pandemic measurement occasions were months or years before the COVID-19 pandemic. Studies with pre-pandemic measures weeks or days before the pandemic reported relatively stable or even decreasing loneliness trends. Second, we enrich the systematic review with an empirical investigation on daily changes in the perceived quality and quantity of social relationships during the pandemic compared to before the pandemic (N = 4,823). This empirical investigation showed that, on average, the quality of social relationships was perceived worse during the pandemic than before. This perception got slightly stronger over the first two weeks of the pandemic but stagnated thereafter. Regarding the quantity of social relationships, participants reported on average that they had fewer social interactions at the beginning of the study than before the pandemic. This perceived reduction in the quantity of social interactions linearly decreased over time.

scholarly journals Loneliness and Social Isolation During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 272-284
Author(s):  
Susanne Buecker ◽  
Kai T. Horstmann
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Empirical Investigation ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Psychological Consequences ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Quantitative Studies

Abstract. The outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic has drastically altered people’s lives. Loneliness and social isolation were publicly discussed as possible psychological consequences of the measures taken to slow the virus spread. These public discussions have sparked a surge in empirical studies on loneliness and social isolation. In this study, we first provide a systematic review synthesizing recent literature on the prevalence and correlates of loneliness and social isolation during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic ( k = 53 studies). We found that most quantitative studies included in the systematic review were cross-sectional. The few longitudinal studies mainly reported increases in loneliness, especially when the pre-pandemic measurement occasions were months or years before the COVID-19 pandemic. Studies with pre-pandemic measures weeks or days before the pandemic reported relatively stable or even decreasing loneliness trends. Second, we enrich the systematic review with an empirical investigation on daily changes in the perceived quality and quantity of social relationships during the pandemic compared to before the pandemic ( N = 4,823). This empirical investigation showed that, on average, the quality of social relationships was perceived worse during the pandemic than before. This perception got slightly stronger over the first 2 weeks of the pandemic but stagnated thereafter. Regarding the quantity of social relationships, participants reported on average that they had fewer social interactions at the beginning of the study than before the pandemic. This perceived reduction in the quantity of social interactions linearly decreased over time.

scholarly journals Informal caregiving for adults, loneliness and social isolation: a study protocol for a systematic review

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. e044902
Author(s):  
André Hajek ◽  
Benedikt Kretzler ◽  
Hans-Helmut König
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Observational Studies ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Data Extraction ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Chronically Ill ◽  
Informal Caregiving ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Cross Sectional

IntroductionSome empirical studies have identified an association between informal caregiving for adults and loneliness or social isolation. However, there is a lack of a review systematically synthesising empirical studies that have examined these associations. Hence, the aim of this systematic review is to provide an overview of evidence from observational studies.Methods and analysisThree electronic databases (Medline, PsycINFO, CINAHL) will be searched (presumably in May 2021), and reference lists of included studies will be searched manually. Cross-sectional and longitudinal observational studies examining the association between informal caregiving for adults and loneliness or social isolation will be included. Studies focusing on grandchildren care or private care for chronically ill children will be excluded. Data extraction will include information related to study design, definition and measurement of informal caregiving, loneliness and social isolation, sample characteristics, statistical analysis and main results. The quality of the studies will be evaluated using the National Institutes of Health Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies. Two reviewers will perform the selection of studies, data extraction and assessment of study quality. Figures and tables will be used to summarise and report results. A narrative summary of the findings will be provided. If data permit, a meta-analysis will be conducted.Ethics and disseminationNo primary data will be collected. Therefore, approval by an ethics committee is not required. We plan to publish our findings in a peer-reviewed journal.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020193099.

scholarly journals Functional illiteracy and developmental dyslexia: looking for common roots. A systematic review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Réka Vágvölgyi ◽  
Kirstin Bergström ◽  
Aleksandar Bulajić ◽  
Maria Klatte ◽  
Tânia Fernandes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Developmental Dyslexia ◽  
Phonological Processing ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Low Literacy ◽  
Behavioral Profile ◽  
Quantitative Studies ◽  
Functional Illiteracy ◽  
Basic Reading Skills

AbstractA considerable amount of the population in more economically developed countries are functionally illiterate (i.e., low literate). Despite some years of schooling and basic reading skills, these individuals cannot properly read and write and, as a consequence have problems to understand even short texts. An often-discussed approach (Greenberg et al. 1997) assumes weak phonological processing skills coupled with untreated developmental dyslexia as possible causes of functional illiteracy. Although there is some data suggesting commonalities between low literacy and developmental dyslexia, it is still not clear, whether these reflect shared consequences (i.e., cognitive and behavioral profile) or shared causes. The present systematic review aims at exploring the similarities and differences identified in empirical studies investigating both functional illiterate and developmental dyslexic samples. Nine electronic databases were searched in order to identify all quantitative studies published in English or German. Although a broad search strategy and few limitations were applied, only 5 studies have been identified adequate from the resulting 9269 references. The results point to the lack of studies directly comparing functional illiterate with developmental dyslexic samples. Moreover, a huge variance has been identified between the studies in how they approached the concept of functional illiteracy, particularly when it came to critical categories such the applied definition, terminology, criteria for inclusion in the sample, research focus, and outcome measures. The available data highlight the need for more direct comparisons in order to understand what extent functional illiteracy and dyslexia share common characteristics.

How Relationship Satisfaction Influences Post-Pandemic COVID-19 Anxiety: A Four-Wave Study in China

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingyi Ou ◽  
yunhanqi ◽  
Ke Zhang ◽  
Yuexiao Du ◽  
Yihang He ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Relationship Satisfaction ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Crucial Role ◽  
Perceived Social Support ◽  
The Social

The social isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic exerts lasing impacts on people’s mental health. However, whether and how people’s pre-existing positive social relationships can serve as stable reserves to alleviate people psychological distress following the disaster remains unknown. To address the question, the current study examined whether pre-pandemic relationship satisfaction would predict post-pandemic COVID-19 anxiety through middle-pandemic perceived social support and/or gratitude using four-wave data in China (N = 222, 54.50% female, Mage = 31.53, SD = 8.17). Results showed that people’s COVID-19 anxiety decreased from the peak to the trough pandemic stage; perceived social support increased markedly from the pre-pandemic to the peak and remained stable afterwards, while relationship satisfaction remained unchanged throughout. Further, it was middle-pandemic perceived social support, but not gratitude, mediated the association between pre-pandemic relationship satisfaction and post-pandemic COVID-19 anxiety, indicating perceived social support played a more crucial role than gratitude in this process. Last, it is suggested to distinguish perceived social support from gratitude as two different components of social interactions.

scholarly journals Technology Acceptance in Healthcare: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (22) ◽  
pp. 10537
Author(s):  
Adi A. AlQudah ◽  
Mostafa Al-Emran ◽  
Khaled Shaalan
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Technology Acceptance ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Influential Factors ◽  
Full Potential ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Healthcare Technologies

Understanding the factors affecting the use of healthcare technologies is a crucial topic that has been extensively studied, specifically during the last decade. These factors were studied using different technology acceptance models and theories. However, a systematic review that offers extensive understanding into what affects healthcare technologies and services and covers distinctive trends in large-scale research remains lacking. Therefore, this review aims to systematically review the articles published on technology acceptance in healthcare. From a yield of 1768 studies collected, 142 empirical studies have met the eligibility criteria and were extensively analyzed. The key findings confirmed that TAM and UTAUT are the most prevailing models in explaining what affects the acceptance of various healthcare technologies through different user groups, settings, and countries. Apart from the core constructs of TAM and UTAUT, the results showed that anxiety, computer self-efficacy, innovativeness, and trust are the most influential factors affecting various healthcare technologies. The results also revealed that Taiwan and the USA are leading the research of technology acceptance in healthcare, with a remarkable increase in studies focusing on telemedicine and electronic medical records solutions. This review is believed to enhance our understanding through a number of theoretical contributions and practical implications by unveiling the full potential of technology acceptance in healthcare and opening the door for further research opportunities.

scholarly journals Women’s leadership in academic medicine: a systematic review of extent, condition and interventions

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. e032232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lulu Alwazzan ◽  
Samiah S Al-Angari
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Leadership Development ◽  
Academic Medicine ◽  
Medical Schools ◽  
Women's Leadership ◽  
Research Quality ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Quantitative Studies ◽  
The Impact

ObjectivesBecause culture reflects leadership, the making of diverse and inclusive medical schools begins with diversity among leaders. The inclusion of women leaders remains elusive, warranting a systematic exploration of scholarship in this area. We ask: (1) What is the extent of women’s leadership in academic medicine? (2) What factors influence women’s leadership? (3) What is the impact of leadership development programmes?DesignSystematic review.Data sourcesA systematic search of six online databases (OvidMEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, the Cochrane Library and ERIC) from the earliest date available to April 2018 was conducted. Bridging searches were conducted from April 2018 until October 2019.Eligibility criteria(1) Peer-reviewed; (2) English; (3) Quantitative studies (prospective and retrospective cohort, cross-sectional and preintervention/postintervention); evaluating (4) The extent of women’s leadership at departmental, college and graduate programme levels; (5) Factors influencing women’s leadership; (6) Leadership development programmes. Quantitative studies that explored women’s leadership in journal editorial boards and professional societies and qualitative study designs were excluded.Data extraction and synthesisTwo reviewers screened retrieved data of abstracts and full-texts for eligibility, assessment and extracted study-level data independently. The included studies were objectively appraised using the Medical Education Research Quality Study Instrument with an inter-rater reliability of (κ=0.93).ResultsOf 4024 records retrieved, 40 studies met the inclusion criteria. The extent of women’s leadership was determined through gender distribution of leadership positions. Women’s leadership emergence was hindered by institutional requirements such as research productivity and educational credentials, while women’s enactment of leadership was hindered by lack of policy implementation. Leadership development programmes had a positive influence on women’s individual enactment of leadership and on medical schools’ cultures.ConclusionsScholarship on women’s leadership inadvertently produced institute-centric rather than women-centric research. More robust contextualised scholarship is needed to provide practical-recommendations; drawing on existing conceptual frameworks and using more rigorous research methods.

scholarly journals How does cognition shape social relationships?

2018 ◽  
Vol 373 (1756) ◽  
pp. 20170293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia A. F. Wascher ◽  
Ipek G. Kulahci ◽  
Ellis J. G. Langley ◽  
Rachael C. Shaw
Keyword(s):  
Social Interactions ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Individual Variation ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Social Groups ◽  
Theme Issue ◽  
The Social ◽  
Evolutionary Consequences

The requirements of living in social groups, and forming and maintaining social relationships are hypothesized to be one of the major drivers behind the evolution of cognitive abilities. Most empirical studies investigating the relationships between sociality and cognition compare cognitive performance between species living in systems that differ in social complexity. In this review, we ask whether and how individuals benefit from cognitive skills in their social interactions. Cognitive abilities, such as perception, attention, learning, memory, and inhibitory control, aid in forming and maintaining social relationships. We investigate whether there is evidence that individual variation in these abilities influences individual variation in social relationships. We then consider the evolutionary consequences of the interaction between sociality and cognitive ability to address whether bi-directional relationships exist between the two, such that cognition can both shape and be shaped by social interactions and the social environment. In doing so, we suggest that social network analysis is emerging as a powerful tool that can be used to test for directional causal relationships between sociality and cognition. Overall, our review highlights the importance of investigating individual variation in cognition to understand how it shapes the patterns of social relationships. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Causes and consequences of individual differences in cognitive abilities’.

scholarly journals Primary medical care continuity and patient mortality: a systematic review

2020 ◽  
Vol 70 (698) ◽  
pp. e600-e611 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Baker ◽  
George K Freeman ◽  
Jeannie L Haggerty ◽  
M John Bankart ◽  
Keith H Nockels
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Medical Care ◽  
Continuity Of Care ◽  
Coronary Heart Disease Mortality ◽  
York Academy ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Primary Medical Care ◽  
Care Continuity ◽  
Quantitative Studies

BackgroundA 2018 review into continuity of care with doctors in primary and secondary care concluded that mortality rates are lower with higher continuity of care.AimThis association was studied further to elucidate its strength and how causative mechanisms may work, specifically in the field of primary medical care.Design and settingSystematic review of studies published in English or French from database and source inception to July 2019.MethodOriginal empirical quantitative studies of any design were included, from MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, OpenGrey, and the library catalogue of the New York Academy of Medicine for unpublished studies. Selected studies included patients who were seen wholly or mostly in primary care settings, and quantifiable measures of continuity and mortality.ResultsThirteen quantitative studies were identified that included either cross-sectional or retrospective cohorts with variable periods of follow-up. Twelve of these measured the effect on all-cause mortality; a statistically significant protective effect of greater care continuity was found in nine, absent in two, and in one effects ranged from increased to decreased mortality depending on the continuity measure. The remaining study found a protective association for coronary heart disease mortality. Improved clinical responsibility, physician knowledge, and patient trust were suggested as causative mechanisms, although these were not investigated.ConclusionThis review adds reduced mortality to the demonstrated benefits of there being better continuity in primary care for patients. Some patients may benefit more than others. Further studies should seek to elucidate mechanisms and those patients who are likely to benefit most. Despite mounting evidence of its broad benefit to patients, relationship continuity in primary care is in decline — decisive action is required from policymakers and practitioners to counter this.

scholarly journals Personality, Health Care Use, and Costs: A Study Protocol for a Systematic Review

Healthcare ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 263
Author(s):  
André Hajek ◽  
Benedikt Kretzler ◽  
Hans-Helmut König
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Observational Studies ◽  
Scientific Journal ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Health Care Use ◽  
Personality Characteristics ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Personality Factors ◽  
Cross Sectional

Recent empirical studies have shown that personality factors are associated with health care use (HCU). However, to date, a systematic review is lacking summarizing evidence regarding the link between personality factors and health care use or costs (i.e., monetarily valued health care use). Therefore, the objective of this systematic review is to provide an overview of evidence from observational studies investigating the link between personality characteristics and health care use or costs. Electronic databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, NHS EED) will be searched using predefined search terms. In an additional step, the reference lists of included studies will be searched (manually). No restrictions will be applied regarding the time of publication. Observational studies (both cross-sectional and longitudinal) assessing the link between personality characteristics and health care use/costs across all age categories will be included. Only studies using validated tools to quantify personality characteristics will be included. Among others, studies only focusing on mental HCU or studies only analyzing samples with a specific disorder (e.g., individuals with personality disorders) will be excluded. Mainly, data on methods (study design, measures, and statistical analysis), sample characteristics, and results regarding the link between personality and HCU/costs will be extracted. A quality assessment will be conducted. Two reviewers will perform the study selection, data extraction, and assessment of the study quality. If disagreements occur, they will be resolved through discussion to reach a consensus or by inclusion of a third party. Results will be presented narratively (text and tables). Depending on the number and heterogeneity of the studies included, a meta-analysis will be conducted. Results will be disseminated through publication in a peer-reviewed, scientific journal.

scholarly journals Does variety of social interactions associate with frequency of laughter among older people? The JAGES cross-sectional study

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. e039363
Author(s):  
Masato Nagai ◽  
Tetsuya Ohira ◽  
Kokoro Shirai ◽  
Katsunori Kondo
Keyword(s):  
Social Interactions ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Error Variance ◽  
Evaluation Study ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Community Level ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Environmental Determinants ◽  
Cross Sectional

ObjectiveSeveral studies have reported that laughter is associated with health benefits. In addition, social interactions, such as social relationships, social participation and so forth, have shown the association with not only health but also individual emotion. In this study, we conducted a cross-sectional study to examine the association between variety of social interactions and the frequency of laughter.DesignCross-sectional study.SettingSampled from 30 municipalities in Japan.ParticipantsNon-disabled Japanese men (n=11 439) and women (n=13 159) aged ≥65 years using data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study, which was conducted during October to December in 2013.Primary outcome measuresLaughing almost every day by self-reported questionnaire.ResultsPoisson regression analysis with robust error variance was used to calculate prevalence ratios (PRs) for laughing almost every day according to each social relationship and its potential community-level environmental determinants. The prevalence of laughing almost every day tended to increase with increased variety in each social interaction after adjusting, instrumental activities of daily living, number of living together, working status, depression, self-reported economic status and residence year. Among men and women, multivariate-adjusted PRs (95% CIs) by comparing participants with the highest and lowest categories were 1.18 (1.04 to 1.35) and 1.16 (1.04 to 1.29) in positive life events; 1.26 (1.10 to 1.45) and 1.09 (0.96 to 1.24) in perceived positive changes in the area; 1.15 (1.04 to 1.28) and 1.17 (1.07 to 1.28) in social participations; 2.23 (1.57 to 3.16) and 1.47 (1.02 to 2.12) in social relationships and 1.25 (1.08 to 1.45) and 1.29 (1.15 to 1.45) in positive built environments. These associations were also preserved after the restriction of participants who were not in depression.ConclusionsThis study shows that a greater variety of each social relationships and the potential community-level environmental determinants are associated with higher frequencies of laughter in Japan.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document