The importance of social connectedness: From interpersonal schemas in depression to relationship functioning and well-being.

Author(s):  
David J. A. Dozois
2021 ◽  
pp. 000841742199438
Author(s):  
Melinda J. Suto ◽  
Shelagh Smith ◽  
Natasha Damiano ◽  
Shurli Channe

Background. Sustaining well-being challenges people with serious mental health issues. Community gardening is an occupation used to promote clients’ well-being, yet there is limited evidence to support this intervention. Purpose. This paper examines how facilitated community gardening programs changed the subjective well-being and social connectedness of people living with mental health issues. Method. A community-based participatory research approach and qualitative methods were used with 23 adults living in supported housing and participating in supported community gardening programs. A constructivist approach guided inductive data analysis. Findings. Participation in community gardening programs enhanced well-being through welcoming places, a sense of belonging, and developing positive feelings through doing. The connection to living things and responsibility for plants grounded participants in the present and offered a unique venue for learning about gardening and themselves. Implications. Practitioners and service-users should collaborate to develop leadership, programs, places, and processes within community gardens to enhance well-being.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 942-943
Author(s):  
Shannon Freeman ◽  
Aderonke Abgoji ◽  
Alanna Koopmans ◽  
Christopher Ross

Abstract A consequence of the strict visitor restrictions implemented by many Long-term Care Facilities (LTCFs), during the COVID-19 pandemic, was the exacerbation of loneliness and social isolation felt by older adult residents. While there had been a shift by some persons to utilize digital solutions to mitigate the effects of the imposed social isolation, many facilities did not have sufficient information regarding available solutions to implement institutional strategies to support social connectedness through digital solutions. To support our partners in evidence-based policy-making we conducted a scoping review to identify existing virtual technology solutions, apps, and platforms feasible to promote social connectedness among persons residing in a long-term care facility context during times of lockdown such as experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Initial identification of relevant literature involved a combination of keywords and subject headings searches within 5 databases (PubMed, CINAHL EBSCO, PsychINFO EBSCO, Embase OVIDSP, and Web of Science ISI). DistillerSR was used to screen, chart and summarize the data. There is growth in the availability of technologies focused on promoting health and well-being in later life for persons in long-term care facilities however a gap remains in widespread uptake. We will describe the breadth of technologies identified in this review and discuss how they vary in utility in smaller scale facilities common in rural areas. Of the technologies that can be used to mitigate the impacts of social isolation felt by long-term care residents, many “solutions” depend on stable highspeed internet, which remains a challenge in rural and northern areas.


Author(s):  
Mahnoosh Hassankhani ◽  
Mehdi Alidadi ◽  
Ayyoob Sharifi ◽  
Abolghasem Azhdari

COVID-19 shocked cities around the world and revealed the vulnerability of urban lives and functions. Most cities experienced a catastrophic disturbance that has lasted for a long time. Planning plays a critical role in responding efficiently to this crisis and enabling rapid functional recovery in the post-disaster era. Cities that have implemented digitalization initiatives and programs are likely to have more capacity to react appropriately. Specifically, digitalized cities could ensure the well-being of their residents and maintain continuity of urban functions. This research aims to analyze the role of technology in crisis management in the last two decades and provide appropriate policy recommendations for dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. Systematic literature review and subjective content analysis are employed to investigate the effects of technology on community well-being and making cities more resilient in past crises. This study shows that different technology-driven policies and actions enable crisis management, enhance community well-being, and increase urban resilience. Technology has enhanced coping and recovery capacities by increasing participation and social connectedness, enhancing physical and mental health and maintaining the functionality of education and economic systems. These have been achieved through various solutions and technologies such as social media, telehealth, tracking and monitoring systems, sensors and locational applications, teleworking systems, etc. These solutions and technologies have also been used during the COVID-19 pandemic to enhance community well-being and sustain urban functions. However, technology deployment might have adverse effects such as social exclusion, digital divide, privacy and confidentiality violation, political bias and misinformation dissemination, and inefficient remote working and education. It is suggested that to mitigate these side effects, policymakers should liberate the process of digitalization, increase the accessibility to digital services, and enhance digital literacy.


Author(s):  
Niloufar A. Lueke ◽  
Adam K. Lueke ◽  
Naser Aghababaei ◽  
Michael A. Ferguson ◽  
Brad J. Bushman

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 246-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brooke McQuerrey Tuttle ◽  
Zachary Giano ◽  
Michael J. Merten

The nature of police work includes toxic work environments and uncertain danger which imparts a unique type of occupational stress spillover or the transfer of stress from work life to home life for law enforcement officers. Work stress places officers at risk for negative health and psychosocial outcomes. While it has been shown that occupational stress can compromise the well-being of police officers, little is known about how spillover can effect other areas of life for officers such as marital relationships. This study investigates the association between work demands, emotional stress spillover, and marital functioning in a law enforcement sample. Data from 1,180 married law enforcement respondents to the Police Officer Questionnaire which included 148 items assessing work stress, health, family, and support were examined. Responses were analyzed using regression analyses. Results showed that career demands and emotional spillover were statistically significant predictors of the variance in marital functioning. Social and emotional spillover of work-related stress carries negative consequences for communication and emotion regulation within law enforcement marriages.


Author(s):  
Jongnam Hwang ◽  
Sangmin Park ◽  
Sujin Kim

Cognitive function is a critical health issue in later life, the decline of which disrupts well-being and daily life function. Cognitive decline in older ages can also be understood in the context of the social environment such as social connectedness and engagement in personal life. This study aimed to examine: (1) whether participation in social activities contributes to preventing cognitive decline, and (2) what type of social activities are beneficial to maintaining cognitive function. Data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLOSA) 2006–2014, a longitudinal survey of the household-dwelling population aged 45 and older in Korea were used. The results revealed that Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores decreased with increasing age, at a rate of approximately 0.18 units across all age-gender groups, and the decrease was steeper for adults aged 65 and over. Participation in social gatherings was likely to delay the decline in cognitive function after the age of 65. In a gender-stratified model, social activity may not have an impact on the decline of cognitive function for men, whereas participation in social gatherings was negatively related to the decline of MMSE scores in women. This study suggests the need for a gender-stratified policy for preventing the decline of cognitive function while promoting engagement in social activities in Korean older adults.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jasmina Mehulić ◽  
Željka Kamenov

The ongoing coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic presents an acute stressor affecting mental health. In these stressful times, intimate relationships functioning could serve as a protective or a risk factor to the well-being of partners. Adult Croatian citizens engaged in intimate relationships (N = 727) reported their relationship characteristics and assessed symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress during the state lockdown in May 2020. Three relationship profiles based on variations in key relationship characteristics were identified using latent profile analysis. Profiles represented distinct relationship types described as affectionate, ambivalent, and antagonistic relationships. These relationship types differed in their levels of love and perception of humility, responsiveness, and behavior of the partner. Relationship type was associated with mental health symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic and state lockdown. Being in an affectionate relationship was associated with the lowest levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, while in an antagonistic relationship these are in the highest levels. Ambivalent relationships were characterized by moderate levels on all measured mental health indicators with no difference in anxiety compared with affectionate relationships. The results emphasized the link between relationship functioning and successful coping with mental health hazards such as the fear of disease or restrictive measures put in place to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Jeremy B. Kanter

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] Change in marital satisfaction is a salient research topic for social scientists, especially given the association between marital functioning and adult and child well-being. Scholars have begun to recognize a decline in marital satisfaction is avoidable for the majority of couples, and recent work has demonstrated the antecedents and outcomes associated with different marital experiences. However, most work has used White, middle-class couples. Thus, it is unclear if these patterns replicate for socioeconomically disadvantaged populations, what resources are associated with different relational pathways, and if relationship functioning is associated with psychological functioning. Using three waves of data from a sample of low-income newlywed couples in the Supporting Healthy Marriages project, I identified three classes of couples. The majority of spouses reported stable, high relationship functioning during the early years of marriage. Gender differences emerged, with husbands reporting more stable marital functioning than wives. Guided by the Vulnerability-Stress-Adaptation model, I also found individual (family-of-origin experiences), dyadic (e.g., perceptions of support), and structural (e.g., neighborhood safety) factors were associated with different marital experiences. Last, I found that change in marital satisfaction was influential to change in psychological distress. These results advance scholarship on the inequalities and resilience factors prevalent in low-income populations.


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