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Social network, social support and heavy drinking in elderly men--a population study of men born in 1914, Malmö, Sweden.

We analysed whether there were associations among different aspects of social network and social support, on one hand, and heavy drinking and alcohol problems on the other. The study sample (n = 621) comprised a random half of all male residents born in 1914 in Malmö, Sweden. Five hundred (80.5%) participated. Heavy drinking was defined as an alcohol consumption above 250 g alcohol per week and alcohol problems were assessed by a modified Michigan Alcoholism Screening test. Eight conceptually differential aspects of social networks and social support were measured. Four of five social network indices (social anchorage, social participation, contact frequency, spousal support) were associated with heavy drinking (OR 1.9-2.5) and two social network indices (social anchorage, spousal support) were associated with alcohol problems (OR 2.1-2.3). The results in this study are independent of social class, but based on a cross-sectional study, so we do not know if heavy drinking has caused social isolation or the contrary. If these results can be verified in a prospective study, a strengthening of the social network of the individual could perhaps lead to more moderate alcohol habits and better health, a finding of potential importance in the field of health promotion.

Aged↗

Immunological responses to social stress: dependence on social environment and coping abilities.

Social interactions as a consequence of the social position represent stressful conditions for the individual. Manipulation of social conditions or forming long-term social hierarchies by colony aggregation allow to investigate the regulation of immune defense mechanisms under seminatural circumstances. The present paper describes the effects of dyadic social interaction in male rats with or without direct aggressive interactions on some indices of humoral and cellular immunity. In addition, for comparative and reference purposes, in one experiment the conventional stressor of inescapable footshock was used as well. Primary humoral immune response to sheep red blood cell antigen is suppressed by repeated experience of both defeat and inescapable footshock. At individual level the social stressor is as effective as the conventional stressor of inescapable footshock, less individual rats show suppression following the social than after the conventional stress. The social stressors, i.e. being exposed to a resident or intruder of the territory, facilitate lymphocyte proliferation in the spleen by the mitogen ConA and PHA independently of the presence or absence of direct aggressive interaction. Finally, the different social stressors have some impact on the lymphocyte subpopulation in the spleen. Social stimulation without aggressive interactions increases the relative number of T-helper cells, whereas defeat leads to an increase in the T-suppressor/cytotoxic subpopulation. The data suggest multiple and differential effects of social stress on immune system functioning in the rat. Individual characteristics of the coping with stress, the social environment, and the immune indices under investigation determine the magnitude and direction of the changes in immune functioning.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

Untangling social function and social cognition: a review of concepts and measurement.

Over the past few decades, there has been increasing interest in the study of social impairment in schizophrenia. However, the concept of social functioning has been poorly defined in the literature. This article highlights the global and multi-factorial nature of social functioning and reviews the theoretical determinants of social dysfunction in schizophrenia. Emphasis is placed on outlining the social cognitive deficits that may occur. The study of social cognition appears particularly promising in elucidating our understanding of the development of social impairment in schizophrenia and has the potential to improve current psychosocial interventions. However, continued advances depend upon the existence of reliable and well-validated measures of social functioning and social cognition. A selection of measures are reviewed in this article in an attempt to highlight the importance of assessing multiple aspects of social functioning in schizophrenia and to assist researchers in the selection of appropriate measures. Future efforts should be directed towards the continued validation of social functioning and social cognitive measures and their adaptation for use in at-risk and early psychosis populations.

Attitude to Health↗

Rewarding properties of social interactions in adolescent and adult male and female rats: impact of social versus isolate housing of subjects and partners.

Social interactions have been shown to be rewarding for adolescent and adult rats; however, there has been little emphasis on comparing the strength of the rewarding value of social stimuli across ontogeny. Since age differences in social interactions may vary with sex or housing circumstances, the present study assessed social conditioned place preference (CPP) in adolescent and adult male and female Sprague-Dawley rats housed either socially or in isolation and conditioned with either group-housed or isolate-housed partners. Isolated animals of both sexes and ages demonstrated social CPP, with the strongest preference emerging in adolescent males. Social CPP was not evident in group-housed adults whereas group-housed adolescents developed a preference for the compartment previously paired with similarly housed partners; however, when socially housed adolescents were conditioned with isolated partners, social CPP did not emerge. Age differences in social CPP may reflect age-related neural alterations in brain systems implicated in regulation of social behavior.

Aging↗

Social skills and the stability of social relationships between individuals with intellectual disabilities and other community members.

Stability of social relationships may be an important indicator of lifestyle quality. Fifteen individuals with intellectual disabilities participated in an analysis of the relationship between their social skills (as measured via the Scales of Independent Behavior and the Assessment of Social Competence) and the stability of the social relationships they experienced with other community members, who were neither paid staff nor family members, across the course of 94 consecutive weeks. A participant's social skills did a moderately good job of predicting the average social stability achieved by all of his or her social network members, but a poorer job of predicting the average social stability achieved by the participant's three most stable social network members. The findings suggest that the stability of a participant's most stable social network members is based not on the participant's social skills, but rather on other factors.

Activities of Daily Living↗

Social psychology of mental health: the social structure and personality perspective.

Previous research has revealed a persistent association between social structure and mental health. However, most researchers have focused only on the psychological and psychosocial aspects of that relationship. The present paper indicates the need to include the social and structural bases of distress in our theoretical models. Starting from a general social and psychological model, our research considered the role of several social, environmental, and structural variables (social position, social stressors, and social integration), psychological factors (self-esteem), and psychosocial variables (perceived social support). The theoretical model was tested working with a group of Spanish participants (N = 401) that covered a range of social positions. The results obtained using structural equation modeling support our model, showing the relevant role played by psychosocial, psychological and social, and structural factors. Implications for theory and intervention are discussed.

Adult↗

Cancer-specific social support received by newly diagnosed cancer patients: validating the new Structural-Functional Social Support Scale (SFSS) measurement tool.

GOALS OF WORK: To investigate potentially health-enhancing domains of cancer patients' social relationships we evaluated various dimensions of social support as experienced in early cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In consecutive samples of 72 melanoma and 103 breast cancer patients diagnosed 3-4 months earlier, we evaluated the cancer-specific social network and received social support by the Structural-Functional Social Support Scale (SFSS) validated within the study. In addition, social support was measured by the MOS Social Support Survey as perceived support, and by Seeking Social Support items from the Ways of Coping Questionnaire as coping activity. SFSS measures the number of people who have been aware of the patient's cancer and the amount of social support the patients have received from them. MAIN RESULTS: A large number of people from various potential support-providing sources had been aware of the patients' cancer, and the patients had received support through these interactions. A greater number of support providers did not mean an increase in the support received. Social support was distinguished into subgroups according to its source, but the division into functional support types was weak. Support assessed as perceived support or as a coping activity did not cover the received disease-specific support of several sources. CONCLUSIONS: With the SFSS, it was possible to obtain detailed information on the disease-specific social network and social support. It may be beneficial to distinguish support according to the sources and to also measure support beyond the closest relationships. We hope that our measure and the results obtained will assist in identifying the targets for psychosocial interventions.

Adult↗