Social connection: An exploration of screening methods in primary care

Research has found a correlation between a lack of social links and greater prevalence of mental health issues, indicating that social connection is a key determinant in both physical and mental health outcomes. Social isolation has been related to loneliness, all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, and other major health problems. Urban lifestyles, technology advancements, and the COVID-19 pandemic have all contributed to this problem. In order to address related physical and mental health issues, healthcare professionals must have a thorough understanding of the prevalence of social connection impairments as well as how to identify and treat them. This study surveyed primary care physicians on their approach to evaluating social connection in patients and identified potential barriers to gathering this information. The purpose of this study was to explore the attitudes and beliefs of primary care physicians in the United States towards the impact of social connection on the health of their patients and the extent to which they screen and assess for social connection. Surveys were collected from 208 licensed primary care physicians. Results showed the majority of participants agreed that addressing a patient's social connection is as important as addressing their medical needs and that they feel comfortable asking about a patient's current social connection. However, fewer participants reported being well informed about self-report tools or using validated measures to screen for social connection in their practice. These results suggest that there may be a need for more resources to help primary care physicians incorporate screening for social connection into their practice. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Social Virtual Reality as a Mental Health Tool: How People Use VRChat to Support Social Connectedness and Wellbeing

Social virtual reality (VR) platforms have increased in popularity with many people turning to these platforms to experience social connection, including a rapid influx of users during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there is limited understanding of how people appropriate and use emerging social VR applications to actively support their mental health and wellbeing in daily life. Through an online questionnaire and exploratory interviews conducted within the social VR app VRChat during the COVID-19 pandemic, we document how social VR is being used explicitly as a mental health support tool. Participants reported positive wellbeing benefits, mostly attributed to the anonymity provided by avatars and perceived safety within digital worlds and communities of practice. We also report how people use social VR to practice social interaction, reduce negative thoughts and form strong social bonds and connections with others. © 2023 ACM.

Joy, Jobs, and Sweat: Older Adults' Physical Activity During COVID-19 Lockdowns in New Zealand.

This qualitative narrative correspondence study investigates older adults' experiences of physical activity (PA) during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns in Aotearoa, New Zealand. This paper presents a reflexive thematic analysis of 501 letters received from 568 participants that discussed PA. Participants described PA as bringing joy and rhythm to daily life under stay-at-home measures. The most frequently discussed forms of PA included exercising, gardening, and housework. Four interconnected conceptual themes identified were as follows: (a) renegotiating environmental relationships, (b) social connection, (c) pleasure and PA, and (d) navigating active aging discourses. This paper emphasizes the important environmental and social motivations for becoming and remaining physically active despite restrictions on movement. Older adults' understandings and performance of PA were heavily shaped by active aging discourses. As such, we suggest that initiatives seeking to promote PA should foreground older adults' feelings of connection, productivity, and pleasure and recognize their diversity. This is contrary to current recommendations focused on duration or intensity of older adults' PA.

Social Connection in Older Age

While social isolation and loneliness affect individuals of all ages and backgrounds, older adults can be affected disproportionately, and are much more likely to suffer from health complications and related healthcare expenses. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted and heightened the severity of social isolation and loneliness, especially for people aging at home, in long-term care facilities, and in nursing homes. This article explores meaningful interventions for older adults, including some that look outside the traditional healthcare sector and in the technology, housing, transportation, and nutrition fields. Copyright 2022 American Society on Aging;all rights reserved.

Technology Deployment for Social Connection in Residential Aged Care: Care and Technology Providers' Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Information and communication technologies are being used for the social connection of people living in residential aged care. However, in HCI research concerning technology use in aged care, the perspectives of care and technology providers have received limited attention. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 aged care workers and technology providers to investigate the challenges and opportunities of deploying technologies in aged care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our findings highlighted that technologies such as videoconferencing and smart displays connected residents with family and friends, kept families informed and reassured, and were used in small groups to meet individual needs. However, limitations in video calling, staff fatigue, volunteer availability, and infrastructural resources presented barriers to technology deployment. Future use of technology for social connection in aged care requires careful facilitation from staff, better resourcing and infrastructural support, collaborations with volunteers, and more attention to individual needs. © 2023 Owner/Author.

Games and Play SIG: Connecting Through Social and Playful Technologies

Games have always been popular for connecting people, from local single-player and couch co-op, to massively multiplayer online. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, remote games that involved and fostered social interactions and connections were a highlight among strategies for staying connected. For this year's games and play SIG, we come together to discuss the relevant and timely topic of social and playful technologies, and how they can be designed to best foster meaningful social connections over a distance. We bring together attendees from not only the games community, but also those in the broader field of CHI focusing on social and playful technologies. © 2023 Owner/Author.

Using social connection to drive engagement in emergency remote teaching and learning

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced universities worldwide to deliver emergency remote online teaching and learning. This study analyses teaching practices at a globally ranked Australian university. These practices were adopted to develop connection with students in the absence of face-to-face learning. Complex adaptive system theory is applied, and a mixed research method adopted to examine the evolution of the remote classroom and to understand behaviour as a process of self-organisation. We find that social connection is the underlying mechanism by which the classroom evolved to meet the learning outcomes within the remote online teaching and learning environment. In response to initial transition and institutional pressures, educators attempted to replicate online their work in a face-to-face environment, creating surrogate social connectedness. Our study findings not only extend the literature on the continuing impact of the pandemic on higher education but also highlight the need for pedagogy to drive change and the importance of social connectedness.

A moth to a flame? Fulfilling connectedness needs through romantic relationships protects conspiracy theorists against COVID-19 misinformation

Conspiracy theorists' unpopular opinions likely make them more apprehensive about interactions with others, frustrating their need to belong. Therefore, they may be susceptible to believing misinformation because evidence that others share their beliefs provides "social proof” that they can expect interactions with others to be positive and rewarding. The present research examined whether alternatively fulfilling the need for social connection through romantic relationships could protect conspiracy theorists against COVID-19 misinformation. In a 3-week daily diary study (N = 555), experimental participants implicitly learned to associate their romantic partners with positive experiences (by repeatedly pairing their partner with highly positive and approachable stimuli, McNulty et al., 2017). We then assessed how much participants trusted individuals they might normally distrust, as a manipulation check, and how much participants tuned their daily personal beliefs and behavior to match the U.S. public's daily susceptibility to COVID-19 misinformation. Participants high on conspiratorial thinking trusted fellow community members more in the experimental than control condition. Participants high on conspiratorial thinking in the experimental condition were also less likely to treat the U.S. public's greater daily susceptibility to COVID-19 misinformation as proof that they could discount the virus. The present findings suggest that rewarding romantic connections might be leveraged to limit conspiracy theorists' susceptibility to believing public skepticism about COVID-19. © 2023 The Authors

Video calling devices increase older adults' experience with social connection

The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to better understand how video calling technology can provide face-to-face experiences that support meaningful social connections among older results living in a naturally organized retirement community. This study aimed to understand the experiences of older adults who used video calling technology to engage in social activities and communicate with friends and family. The researcher used a purposeful sampling of 12 participants (members) from the Villages NW, an organization that provides supportive services for older adults who want to age in their homes. The interview data were transcribed, coded, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results showed that face-to-face online communications through video calling technology supported social connections and mitigated loneliness while social distancing. The study findings highlighted the need for innovative resources that support older adults' well-being and safety. More specifically, a close examination of how technology, such as video calling devices or apps, can help older adults actively engage in activities essential for their well-being and experience meaningful connections with friends and family. Lastly, further research should be conducted advocating the accessibility to assistive technology. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Older people's views on loneliness during COVID-19 lockdowns.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: There have been growing concerns that social distancing and stay-at-home mandates have exacerbated loneliness for older people. Empirical evidence about older people's experiences of loneliness and COVID-19 have quantified this phenomena without considering how older people themselves define and understand loneliness. This paper explores how older New Zealanders conceptualized and experienced loneliness under 'lockdown' stay-at-home measures. METHODS: This multi-methods qualitative study combines data from letters (n = 870) and interviews (n = 44) collected from 914 people aged over 60 and living in Aotearoa, New Zealand during the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted a reflexive thematic analysis to conceptualise this data. FINDINGS: We identify three interconnected ways in which older people conceptualised and experienced loneliness: (1) feeling disconnected relating to lack of emotional closeness to another often resulting from being physically separated from others and not being able to touch; (2) feeling imprisoned relating to separation from preferred identities and activities and was frequently associated with boredom and frustration; and (3) feeling neglected which often related to feeling let down by generalised and idealised forms of support, such as one's neighbourhood and health care system. DISCUSSION: Older New Zealanders experienced lockdown loneliness in three interconnected ways rather than as a stable and homogenous experience. Maori, Pacific, Asian and New Zealand European older people often discussed loneliness in different ways; attesting to loneliness being a culturally-mediated concept shaped by expectations around desirable social interaction. We conclude the paper with implications for research and policy.

Lessons from COVID-19: Improving Social Health to Build Community Resilience

Research from the pandemic and previous emergency situations has demonstrated the value of strong social ties for community resilience. Yet social isolation and loneliness are common among older adults, who may be especially vulnerable when disaster strikes. This article recommends ways to improve social health proactively and preventively so that communities are better prepared for climate change. Specific suggestions for federal policymakers, city officials, community-based organizations, and individual citizens are provided.

The reaction of secondary school and university students toward COVID-19-induced lockdown.

Background: The Coronavirus pandemic triggered a worldwide partial lockdown. The lockdown instigated the school's shutdown making the students follow their courses in the virtual modalities while staying at home. Methods: The data were collected using an online survey using a semi-structured questionnaire. The study involved anonymous as well as voluntary 77 secondary schools (Grades 9th to 12th) and 132 university students (class standing 1st to 5th year). Results: The lockdown introduced excruciating experiences for most of the students; however, it also created unanticipated opportunities to learn new skills and develop insights on how to mitigate unforeseen crises while remaining reasonably productive. The steps taken to reduce exposure to the coronavirus infection showed a gender discrepancy. Accordingly, males were disproportionately taken risks regardless of the curfew imposed, while females were deeply concerned about the lockdown-induced break of social connections. Students who were attending public schools, presumably from low-income families were found to be more productive during the lockdown compared to their private school counterparts. This shows that, in some instances, the Coronavirus pandemic is a blessing in disguise. The lockdown created mixed feelings; accordingly, the students reported significantly varied responses towards it. This also introduced some inconsistencies in the response of the students. Perceptions about the lockdown and its impact in most instances significantly varied among students, which unlocked the opportunities to learn new lessons on how to manage unprecedented crises. Conclusion: Policymakers need to take into account gender and living standard while developing strategies to mitigate unprecedented challenges.

Telepresence Robots in Long-Term Care Settings in British Columbia During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Analyzing the Experiences of Residents and Family Members.

Telepresence robots are being increasingly used in long-term care (LTC) homes for virtual visits between families and residents. This study investigated the impacts and experiences of residents and their families using a telepresence robot (Double 3) for 4 to 12 months during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 51 participants were recruited through purposive sampling, including 9 residents, 15 family members, and 27 staff from 4 LTC homes in British Columbia, Canada. Conversational interviews were conducted with residents and family members. Focus groups and one-to-one interviews were held with frontline staff. Thematic analysis was performed, with five themes identified: (1) Stay connected, (2) Regain autonomy, (3) Relieve caregiver burden, (4) Environmental and technical issues, and (5) Scheduling concerns. In conclusion, telepresence robots helped maintain social connections between residents and families, despite the COVID-19 restrictions.

Staying Connected with Aged Populations in Times of COVID-19: An Interview Study of the Role of Portuguese Institutions and Municipalities

In times of social confinement frequently associated with COVID-19 pandemics, an increasing dependence of aged populations on digital media to maintain social interactions and participation in society was observed. Although courses for action on the access to digital media by aged populations and the potential harms of digital inclusion have been acknowledged in the literature, far too little attention has been devoted to the challenges and in situ measures undertaken by local entities targeted to aged populations. The purpose of this study is to analyze the strategies adopted by Portuguese Universities of the Third Age, Municipalities, among other Institutional Care for Aged Populations to ensure communication and active participation of older adults in society and the role of digital media in that process. A total of 72 Portuguese entities developing initiatives addressed to aged populations were interviewed, including Municipalities and Universities of the Third Age, aiming at gathering their perspectives on the challenges and practices of using digital media to involve the ageing population in the community. Data was collected employing a semi-structured interview and content analysis was performed. Findings indicate that although participants found difficulty in adhering to activities owing to the financial and social consequences of the pandemic, most had to restructure their activities to maintain connections and routines. Conclusions offer some important insights into practices to foster participation within the communities using digital platforms. © 2022, Interaction Design and Architecture(s). All Rights Reserved.

Can the social network bridge social distancing? Social media use during the COVID-19 pandemic

We examined the possibility that social media use during a time of social isolation, the COVID-19 pandemic, might have a more positive impact on the self than we observed prior to the pandemic. We compared the impact of social media use in the spring of 2020 with data obtained from a similar sample in the spring of 2018;contrary to our predictions, using social media was associated with similarly negative outcomes in both samples. In the pandemic sample, using social media for the purpose of connecting with others did, however, attenuate the negative effect of social media use on well-being;in addition, social media use that increased feelings of social connectedness was associated with less negative effects on well-being. Thus, social media continues to exert a negative impact on the self during a time of social isolation but may be less damaging to well-being when used to connect with others. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) Impact Statement This study examined potential benefits and limitations of social media use in combating social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results indicate that although spending 10 min on social media was associated with a negative impact on the self, both before and during the pandemic, the negative impact of social media was attenuated for individuals using social media to directly interact with others. Furthermore, social media use was associated with greater feelings of social connection, reducing its negative impact on overall well-being. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

AI-Based Child Care Parental Control System

Due to the prevalence of the COVID-19 epidemic around the globe, children were compelled to engage in remote learning through online platforms, hence mobile phone has become one of their predominant devices. Mobile device with Internet access offers a major outlet for education, entertainment, and social connection, but this combination can lead to several significant bad sequences such as online exploitation, harmful addictions, and other negative impacts of online social networking. To address harmful effects, parental controls are becoming more crucial, yet Sri Lankan parents are less aware of this. Consequently, this study proposes a parental control system to monitor their child's activities. Android, Microsoft Azure, Java, Python, OpenCV, MySQL, and FastAPI are among the most prominent technologies utilized in the proposed application's development. The suggested approach focuses primarily on the Sri Lankan context and aims to enhance parental digital literacy while safeguarding children from cyber threats. Yielded results showed the proposed mobile application for the identification of toxic words, drugs & alcohol content, game character images, and Instagram Sinhala comments severity as 94%, 95%, 97%, and 55% respectively in controlled experiments. © 2022 IEEE.

Older adult communication types and emotional well-being outcomes during COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The rationale for the present study is a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, as there are fewer opportunities available for older adults to engage in face-to-face interaction and social activities, which may result in changes in the communication methods with their social contacts. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between methods of social connectedness and emotional well-being outcomes among older adults at the start of the pandemic. METHODS: Two thousand five hundred and fifty-eight older adults Medicare beneficiaries (65 + years of age) in the National Health and Aging Trends Study at wave 10 (June 2020 to January 2021) were selected for cross-sectional analysis. Participants were measured on brief questionnaires regarding forms of communication with family and friends before and during the pandemic. Emotional well-being outcomes were measured on single items of sadness/depressed and loneliness; as well as a 6-item Likert scale of anxiety during the pandemic. Paired sample t-tests were utilized to examine the forms of communication between before and during pandemic. Hierarchical regressions were conducted to assess the relationship between forms of communication and emotional well-being outcomes. RESULTS: We found that there were overall decreases in communication frequency during pandemic. Findings from regression analyses indicated information communication technology (ICT) are associated with negative emotional well-being outcomes, whereas in-person social contact are associated with lower levels of negative affect. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest utilizing higher levels of ICT has negative implications for older adults' emotional well-being, contrasting with the positive implication of in-person contacts. These findings highlight the role of ICT in emotional well-being among older adults during pandemic.

Importance of Social Videogaming for Connection with Others During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study focused on the importance of social videogame play for remaining connected to others early in the COVID-19 pandemic. While social isolation and loneliness negatively affect well-being, social interaction is important for positive outcomes. During the pandemic, online videogame play has offered a safe outlet for socialization. Participants (n = 45) completed a survey rating the importance of gaming for feeling connected to family, friends, and co-workers, before, during, and after stay-at-home orders. As expected, the results indicate that social videogame play and its importance increased significantly during the stay-at-home period and decreased afterward. The importance of gaming with friends and co-workers increased significantly during the stay-at-home period but did not decrease significantly afterward. Social gaming was more important for remaining connected with friends and co-workers than family. Participants likely had more direct interaction with family members, while more effort was necessary to maintain contact with non-family members. © The Author(s) 2022.

How Can Music Engagement Address Loneliness? A Qualitative Study and Thematic Framework in the Context of Australia's COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdowns.

Social isolation and loneliness are serious public health concerns. Music engagement can strengthen social connections and reduce loneliness in some contexts, although how this occurs is not well understood; research suggests that music's capacity to manipulate perceptions of time and space is relevant. This study adopted a qualitative perspective to examine how music engagement shaped the experiences of residents of Victoria, Australia, during conditions of restricted social contact during the lockdowns of 2020. Semi-structured interviews explored participants' lived musical experiences while giving focus to perceptions of time and space (e.g., how music helped restructure home and workspaces in response to lockdown regulations, or punctuate time where older routines were no longer viable). Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of the interview transcripts identified five themes representing the key findings: (1) a super-ordinate theme of perceived control, which comprises four themes: (2) dynamic connection; (3) identity; (4) mobility; (5) presence. Each theme describes one generalised aspect of the way music engagement shaped participants' perceptions of time and space during lockdown and supported their processes of adaptation to and coping with increased social isolation. The authors argue that these findings may inform the way music can be used to address loneliness in everyday life.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Canadian Social Connections: A Thematic Analysis

Background On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a worldwide pandemic. Responses to the pandemic response disrupted Canadian social connections in complex ways;because social connections are determinants of health and well-being, their disruption could adversely affect health and well-being. Moreover, understanding how pandemics and public health responses affect social connections could inform pandemic recovery strategy and public health approaches designed for future pandemics. The purpose of this study is to understand experiences of pandemic impact on social connections over the pandemic. Methods A sample of 343 Canadian adults was recruited through Athabasca University and social media. Participants were predominantly White (81%) and female (88%). After the pandemic onset, participants responded to open-ended questions about the impact of the pandemic on and any changes to social connections at three time points (baseline, and three- and 6 months from study entry). Responses were categorized into epochs by date (April-June 2020 [Spring];July-August 2020 [Summer];September 2020-January 2021 [Fall/Winter]). Qualitative thematic analysis was used to code themes for each epoch. Results Negative impact of the pandemic (37–45%), loss of social connections (32–36%), and alternative means of connection (26–32%) were prominent themes across the epochs. Restrictions to face-to-face connections were largest in spring (9%) and lowest in the Summer (4%). Conversely, participants increasingly reported limited contact or communication into the Fall and Winter (6–12%) as pandemic restrictions in Canada were reinstated. Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic threatens social connections, with negative impacts that fluctuated with COVID-19 case rates and subsequent pandemic restrictions. These findings could be used to identify targets for social supports during the pandemic recovery, and to adjust public health strategies for future pandemics that minimize impact on social connections.