同性恋者的公众态度感知、领悟社会支持和孤独感的关系研究

目的:探讨同性恋者公众态度感知、领悟社会支持和孤独感三者之间的关系。方法:以修订后的同性恋者公众态度感知问卷、领悟社会支持量表和UCLA孤独感量表为测量工具,采取同伴推荐和网络调查等方式共收集有效问卷381份。结果:公众态度感知与孤独感显著正相关(r=0.29,P0.001),领悟社会支持与孤独感的显著负相关(r=0.67,P0.001),二者对孤独感的联合预测解释率为50%;在公众态度感知对孤独感的影响中,领悟社会支持的中介效应量为0.23(P0.01)。结论:领悟社会支持在同性恋者的公众态度感知和孤独感之间发挥着部分中介作用。     

Hope,social relations,and depressive symptoms in mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder

BackgroundRaising a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may negatively impact maternal mental health outcomes. Feelings of loneliness and a lack of social support may contribute to these outcomes. One factor that may help to promote better outcomes is hope. The current study examined the associations between maternal hope, loneliness, social support, and depressive symptoms.MethodNinety-four mothers of a child with ASD participated in this online study. Mothers were predominantly Caucasian, middle class, and educated. Children ranged in age from 2 to 13 years. Mothers completed questionnaires assessing hope, loneliness, perceived social support from friends and family, and depressive symptoms.ResultsThe results of a multiple mediator model indicated that hope agency was indirectly associated with depressive symptoms via loneliness. In a follow-up serial mediation model, hope agency was associated with depressive symptoms through family support and loneliness.ConclusionsThe present study contributes to the growing body of research focusing on positive personality characteristics and mental health outcomes in mothers of children with ASD. Given that increased hopeful thinking was associated with less loneliness, the construct of hope should be given more attention in interventions that are aimed at improving maternal outcomes. Increasing hopeful thinking may be particularly important in aiding with improvement during psychotherapy for mothers with clinical levels of depressive symptoms.     

社区日间照料中心老年人智能手机使用情况与手机依赖、孤独感的关系研究

目的 研究社区日间照料中心老人智能手机使用情况与手机依赖、孤独感的关系，以减少其手机依赖和孤独感。方法 运用一般情况调查表、孤独量表、手机成瘾指数量表和智能手机使用情况调查表，对分层随机抽取的河南省13家社区日间照料中心的363名老人进行调查。结果 被调查者在性别、收入、受教育程度、居住状态、智能手机日均使用时间、手机功能的使用数、社交软件使用数、对朋友圈公众号的关注、陌生人添加自己为好友时的反应等方面对其孤独感造成的差异均具统计学意义（x2=13.162，14.681，15.391，11.853，11.367，13.836，12.759，16.137，9.356；P＜0.05或P＜0.01）；不与配偶居住、不关注朋友圈公众号、不一定拒绝陌生人添加为好友请求的被调查者孤独感更高；被调查者在性别、收入、居住状态维度上手机依赖的差异具有统计学意义（F/t=1.993，11.337，13.569；P＜0.05或P＜0.01）；被调查者在年龄、性别维度与其手机依赖、失控性、戒断性、逃避性、低效性呈显著负相关（r=- 0.663，- 0.689，- 0.356，- 0.637，- 0.518，- 0.295，- 0.426，- 0.528；P＜0.05或P＜0.01），收入、居住状态与其手机依赖、失控性、戒断性、逃避性、低效性均呈现显著的正相关（r=0.256，0.527，0.206，0.678，0.585，0.628，0.339，0.306；P＜0.05或P＜0.01）；被调查者手机依赖及其4个维度与其孤独感均呈显著正相关（r=0.367，0.479，0.413，0.468，0.389；P＜0.01）。结论 社区日间照料中心老人人口学变量及智能手机使用情况对其手机依赖、孤独感有显著影响。     

Identity and perceived peer relationship quality in emerging adulthood: The mediating role of attachment-related emotions

Identity formation and the perceived quality of one’s peer relationships are theorized to be intimately linked in emerging adulthood. The present study examined the associations between identity styles (i.e., information-oriented, normative, and diffuse-avoidant styles) and the quality of relationships with peers (as indexed by friendship quality and loneliness) in a sample of 343 college students from Belgium. High scores for the information-oriented style were positively related to friendship quality, whereas high scores for the diffuse-avoidant identity style were positively related to loneliness. These direct associations were mediated, at least in part, by attachment-related emotions (i.e., avoidance and anxiety). These associations, both direct and indirect, provide the first evidence linking identity styles and the quality of peer relationships. Suggestions for future research are provided, both at the methodological and the conceptual level.     

Does loneliness contribute to mild cognitive impairment and dementia? A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies

There is growing evidence that loneliness is associated with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. However, the extent of this association remains unclear. A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies examining this association was conducted. Six electronic databases were searched from inception to November 15^th 2018. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed to obtain pooled estimates and 95% CIs. Studies were also assessed for heterogeneity, methodological quality and publication bias. A total of 4270 hits were retrieved based on the initial search strategy and ten studies met the eligibility criteria involving 37339 individuals (mean age from 64.9 to 83.1 years). Variation between studies was present for the measurement of loneliness as well as for the case ascertainment of MCI and dementia. Loneliness was positively associated with increased risk of dementia (overall RR = 1.26; 95% CI = 1.14, 1.40; n = 8). Due to lack of sufficient data, we could not explore the association between loneliness and risk of MCI through a meta-analysis, but limited evidence suggests a potential effect of loneliness on MCI. A further understanding of the deleterious effects of loneliness on MCI and dementia may assist the design of environmental and psychological interventions to prevent or delay the onset of these neuropsychiatric conditions.     

Loneliness and depression among older European adults: The role of perceived neighborhood built environment

Depression and loneliness act in a synergistic way among older adults. We tested two indicators of the perceived neighborhood built environment (BE) as moderators of the association between these conditions in older European adults. Positive perceptions of neighborhood BE were related to lower levels of loneliness but not to major depressive disorder (MDD). Reporting low BE usability was significantly related to a higher likelihood of feeling lonely except for those suffering from MDD, whereas reporting low BE walkability was significantly related with a high likelihood of loneliness particularly among those with MDD. Therefore, improving neighborhood BE and, specifically, its walkability, might result in a reduction in the prevalence of loneliness.     

Risk factors for loneliness in patients with cancer: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis

ObjectiveTo systematically review the literature on the severity and risk factors for loneliness in adult cancer patients.MethodsWe systematically reviewed quantitative studies addressing loneliness in cancer patients. Exclusion criteria were absence of a validated loneliness questionnaire, and studies that focused on loneliness determined by specific circumstances, and not cancer in general (e.g. appearance concerns, cultural and language barriers, requiring palliative care). We searched PsycINFO, CINAHL, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Pubmed in compliance with the predefined in- and exclusion criteria. The search, quality appraisal, and data extraction were performed by two independent reviewers. Weighted mean scores were calculated by using random effects adjusted inverse variance weighting.ResultsWe included 15 studies. In 13 studies the UCLA loneliness scale was used (range 20–80; higher scores indicate higher loneliness). The weighted mean loneliness score was 38.26 (95% CI: 35.51–41.00), which corresponds to moderate loneliness. Time since diagnosis was positively associated with degree of loneliness. Other cancer-related factors, such as cancer site, treatment type, or stage of disease were not associated with loneliness. The non-cancer related determinants of loneliness in cancer patients that emerged from our review were being unmarried (people who have never been married, are widowed or divorced), and lack of psychological or social support.ConclusionOur findings suggest that the level of loneliness rises with increasing time after cancer diagnosis. Furthermore, social functioning emerged as a consistent theme, for which it was shown that lack of social support was associated with increasing levels of loneliness.     

Social engagement and loneliness are differentially associated with neuro-immune markers in older age: Time-varying associations from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing

ObjectivesThis study aimed to explore time-varying associations between social engagement, living status and loneliness and neuro-immune markers in older adults, and ascertain whether results are explained by socioeconomic position, health behaviours or depression.MethodsWe analysed blood samples from 8780 adults aged 50 and above from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing across three waves of data collection: 2004/5, 2008/9 and 2012/2013. We used fixed effects modelling to estimate the relationship between loneliness, social isolation, living alone and levels of fibrinogen, insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), white blood cell (WBC) count and C-reactive protein (CRP), whilst accounting for all time-invariant and identified time-varying confounders.ResultsHigher levels of social engagement and living with somebody were associated with lower levels of CRP, fibrinogen and WBC, while lower levels of loneliness were associated with higher levels of IGF-1. These associations were found to be independent of time-invariant factors such as gender, medical history, previous patterns of social behaviours, unobserved aspects of social class, and genetics, and time-varying factors such as income, physical health, health behaviours, and depression.ConclusionsAspects of social engagement were associated with lower levels of inflammation whilst loneliness was inversely related to the regulation of inflammation. This suggests there could be different biological pathways involved in objective and subjective aspects of social connections.     

Financial difficulty and biopsychosocial predictors of loneliness: A cross-sectional study of community dwelling older adults

AimTo investigate the interplay of sociodemographic, health, functional and psychosocial factors in predicting loneliness in community dwelling older adults accessing home support services and long-term aged residential care.MethodsOlder New Zealanders (age 65+), who had their first interRAI Home Care assessment between July 2014 and June 2016, were included. The outcome variable was the binary interRAI item “Lonely”. The predictor variables included sociodemographics, hearing, vision, self-reported health, activities of daily living, social interaction and support, and depression.ResultsData from 51,239 assessments of older adults (mean age: 82.3 years; female: 61%; European: 87.3%) were analysed. Loneliness was reported in 21%. A stepwise logistic regression model explained 12.1% of the variance and was statistically significant (Chi² = 3501.0.8, df = 22; p < 0.001). The factors with the largest odds ratios (OR > 1.5) were depression, living alone, being Asian, financial difficulty and not in a relationship. Functional impairment was negatively associated with loneliness.ConclusionsDetermining the predictors of older adults’ loneliness is complex, multi-factorial, with each factor having a small, additive effect on the development of loneliness. Depression, social factors and financial difficulty are the strongest predictors but much of the variance remains unexplained. These factors could be targeted as modifiable risk factors for addressing loneliness in older adults.