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Eager S, Johnson S, Pitman A, Uribe M, Qualter P, Pearce E. Young people's views on the acceptability and feasibility of loneliness interventions for their age group. BMC Psychiatry 2024; 24:308. [PMID: 38654301 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-024-05751-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Loneliness is a frequently reported problem for young people aged 16 to 24 years old. A variety of interventions have been developed (but in most cases not extensively evaluated) to try and tackle loneliness in this age group. These include interpersonal, intrapersonal, and social approaches that vary in their content and mechanisms of action. The current study aimed to qualitatively examine young peoples' views on the acceptability and feasibility of different loneliness interventions. METHODS Young people from 16 to 24 years old living in the United Kingdom who self-identified as having experienced loneliness were recruited to participate in this study. We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews to assess their views on the acceptability and feasibility of loneliness interventions for their age group. Interviews were analysed using inductive reflexive thematic analysis. RESULTS Our analysis of 23 individual interview transcripts identified six themes. These related to the appropriate stage for intervention and how different types of strategies may be best suited to particular contexts; the key facilitators and barriers to engaging young people in an intervention; considerations for optimising the delivery of an intervention; divergent views on technology use in strategies to manage loneliness; the scope of an intervention and whether it takes a targeted or general approach; and the idea of combining different options within an intervention to allow tailoring to individual preferences and nature of loneliness. CONCLUSIONS These findings demonstrate the need for continued development of individualised interventions designed to help manage loneliness in this age group. Future loneliness strategies should be co-produced with young people to ensure that they suit the varying needs of this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon Eager
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, W1T 7NF, London, UK.
| | - Sonia Johnson
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, W1T 7NF, London, UK
- Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Alexandra Pitman
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, W1T 7NF, London, UK
- Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Manuela Uribe
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, W1T 7NF, London, UK
| | - Pamela Qualter
- Manchester Institute of Education, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Eiluned Pearce
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, W1T 7NF, London, UK
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Ikhtabi S, Pitman A, Maconick L, Pearce E, Dale O, Rowe S, Johnson S. The prevalence and severity of loneliness and deficits in perceived social support among who have received a 'personality disorder' diagnosis or have relevant traits: a systematic review. BMC Psychiatry 2024; 24:21. [PMID: 38172738 PMCID: PMC10765693 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-023-05471-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Loneliness and struggles with unmet social needs are a common experience among people with 'personality disorder' diagnoses/traits. Given the impact of loneliness and poor perceived social support on mental health, and the importance of a sense of belonging for recovery, a systematic review examining the prevalence/severity of loneliness and deficits in perceived social support among people with 'personality disorder' diagnoses/traits is an essential step towards developing an intervention targeting the social needs of people with diagnoses/traits 'personality disorder'. Despite an extensive literature on loneliness and deficits of perceived social support among people with 'personality disorder' diagnosis/traits, to date there has been no systematic review of this evidence. METHOD We conducted a systematic review synthesising quantitative data on the prevalence/severity of loneliness and deficits of perceived social support among people with diagnoses/traits of 'personality disorder' in comparison with other clinical groups and the general population. We searched Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, Web of Social Science, Google scholar and Ethos British Library from inception to December 2021. We conducted quality appraisals using the Joanna Briggs Critical appraisal tools and rated the certainty of evidence using the Grading of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach. A narrative synthesis was used describing the direction and strength of associations prioritising high quality studies. FINDINGS A final set of 70 studies are included in this review, most of which are cross-sectional studies (n = 55), based in the United States (51%) and focused on community samples. Our synthesis of evidence found that, across all types of 'personality disorders' (except 'narcissistic personality' traits), people with traits associated with 'personality disorder' or meeting criteria for a diagnosis of 'personality disorder', have higher levels of loneliness, lower perceived relationship satisfaction, and poorer social support than the general population or other clinical samples. CONCLUSION The quality of evidence is judged as low quality. However, given the distressing nature of loneliness and the known negative effects of loneliness on mental health and recovery, it is important for future research to explore mechanisms by which loneliness may exacerbate 'personality disorder' symptoms and the impact this has on recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexandra Pitman
- UCL Division of Psychiatry, Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Lucy Maconick
- UCL Division of Psychiatry, NIHR Doctoral Research Fellow, Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | | | - Oliver Dale
- Sussex Partnership Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | | | - Sonia Johnson
- UCL Division of Psychiatry, Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
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Pearce E, Birken M, Pais S, Tamworth M, Ng Y, Wang J, Chipp B, Crane E, Schlief M, Yang J, Stamos A, Cheng LK, Condon M, Lloyd-Evans B, Kirkbride JB, Osborn D, Pitman A, Johnson S. Associations between constructs related to social relationships and mental health conditions and symptoms: an umbrella review. BMC Psychiatry 2023; 23:652. [PMID: 37667255 PMCID: PMC10478264 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-023-05069-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Loneliness and social isolation are increasingly recognised as prevalent among people with mental health problems, and as potential targets for interventions to improve quality of life and outcomes, as well as for preventive strategies. Understanding the relationship between quality and quantity of social relationships and a range of mental health conditions is a helpful step towards development of such interventions. PURPOSE Our aim was to give an overview of associations between constructs related to social relationships (including loneliness and social isolation) and diagnosed mental conditions and mental health symptoms, as reported in systematic reviews of observational studies. METHODS For this umbrella review (systematic review of systematic reviews) we searched five databases (PsycINFO, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science) and relevant online resources (PROSPERO, Campbell Collaboration, Joanna Briggs Institute Evidence Synthesis Journal). We included systematic reviews of studies of associations between constructs related to social relationships and mental health diagnoses or psychiatric symptom severity, in clinical or general population samples. We also included reviews of general population studies investigating the relationship between loneliness and risk of onset of mental health problems. RESULTS We identified 53 relevant systematic reviews, including them in a narrative synthesis. We found evidence regarding associations between (i) loneliness, social isolation, social support, social network size and composition, and individual-level social capital and (ii) diagnoses of mental health conditions and severity of various mental health symptoms. Depression (including post-natal) and psychosis were most often reported on, with few systematic reviews on eating disorders or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and only four related to anxiety. Social support was the most commonly included social construct. Our findings were limited by low quality of reviews and their inclusion of mainly cross-sectional evidence. CONCLUSION Good quality evidence is needed on a wider range of social constructs, on conditions other than depression, and on longitudinal relationships between social constructs and mental health symptoms and conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eiluned Pearce
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Mary Birken
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Sarah Pais
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Millie Tamworth
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Yutung Ng
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Jingyi Wang
- Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, NHC Key Laboratory of Health Technology Assessment, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Beverley Chipp
- Co-production Group, Loneliness and Social Isolation in Mental Health Research Network, Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Ellena Crane
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Merle Schlief
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Jinyan Yang
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Aggelos Stamos
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Lui Kwan Cheng
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Maria Condon
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | | | | | - David Osborn
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
- Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Alexandra Pitman
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
- Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Sonia Johnson
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK.
- Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
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Adlington K, Vasquez C, Pearce E, Wilson CA, Nowland R, Taylor BL, Spring S, Johnson S. 'Just snap out of it' - the experience of loneliness in women with perinatal depression: a Meta-synthesis of qualitative studies. BMC Psychiatry 2023; 23:110. [PMID: 36849948 PMCID: PMC9970854 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-023-04532-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pregnancy and the arrival of a new baby is a time of great transition and upheaval. Women often experience social isolation and loneliness at this time and may develop depression, particularly in the postnatal period. Qualitative studies have reported that loneliness is also a feature of perinatal depression. However, until now there has been no attempt to synthesise research exploring the links between loneliness and perinatal depression. This study's aim was to explore existing qualitative evidence to answer two research questions: What are the experiences of loneliness for women with perinatal depression? What helps and what makes loneliness worse for women with perinatal depression? METHODS A qualitative meta-synthesis retrieved primary qualitative studies relevant to the research questions. Four electronic databases were systematically searched (Ovid MEDLINE®; PsycINFO; Embase; Web of Science). Papers were screened according to pre-defined inclusion criteria and assigned a quality score. Thematic analysis was used to identify major overarching themes in the literature. RESULTS Twenty-seven relevant qualitative studies were included. Themes relating to the interaction between perinatal depression and loneliness included self-isolation and hiding symptoms due to stigma of perinatal depression and fear of judgement as a 'bad mother'; a sudden sense of emotional disconnection after birth; and a mismatch between expected and actual support provided by partner, family and community. There was also a double burden of loneliness for women from disadvantaged communities, due to increased stigma and decreased social support. Validation and understanding from healthcare professionals, peer support from other mothers with experience of perinatal depression, and practical and emotional family support were all important factors that could ameliorate loneliness. CONCLUSIONS Loneliness appears to play a central role in the experience of perinatal depression based on the frequency with which it emerged in women's accounts. The findings provide a foundation for the development of further theories about the role of loneliness in perinatal depression and evidence in which future psychological and social intervention design processes can be rooted. Addressing stigma and offering culturally appropriate professional and peer support are potential targets for interventions that could help women with perinatal depression, particularly in disadvantaged communities, feel less lonely. TRIAL REGISTRATION Prospero registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php? RecordID = 251,936.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Adlington
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK. .,Section of Women's Mental Health, King's College London, London, UK. .,East London NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
| | | | - Eiluned Pearce
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Claire A Wilson
- Section of Women's Mental Health, King's College London, London, UK.,South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Rebecca Nowland
- School of Health and Midwifery, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK
| | | | | | - Sonia Johnson
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK.,Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
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Birken M, Chipp B, Shah P, Olive RR, Nyikavaranda P, Hardy J, Chhapia A, Barber N, Lee S, Pearce E, Lloyd-Evans B, Perkins R, McDaid D, Stefanidou T, Shafran R, Pitman A, Johnson S. Exploring the experiences of loneliness in adults with mental health problems: A participatory qualitative interview study. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0280946. [PMID: 36881570 PMCID: PMC9990944 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0280946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Loneliness is associated with many mental health conditions, as both a potential causal and an exacerbating factor. Richer evidence about how people with mental health problems experience loneliness, and about what makes it more or less severe, is needed to underpin research on strategies to help address loneliness. METHODS Our aim was to explore experiences of loneliness, as well as what helps address it, among a diverse sample of adults living with mental health problems in the UK. We recruited purposively via online networks and community organisations, with most interviews conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 59 consenting participants face-to-face, by video call or telephone. Researchers with relevant lived experience were involved at all stages, including design, data collection, analysis and writing up of results. FINDINGS Analysis led to identification of four overarching themes: 1. What the word "lonely" meant to participants, 2. Connections between loneliness and mental health, 3. Contributory factors to continuing loneliness, 4. Ways of reducing loneliness. Central aspects of loneliness were lack of meaningful connections with others and lack of a sense of belonging to valued groups and communities. Some drivers of loneliness, such as losses and transitions, were universal, but specific links were also made between living with mental health problems and being lonely. These included direct effects of mental health symptoms, the need to withdraw to cope with mental health problems, and impacts of stigma and poverty. CONCLUSIONS The multiplicity of contributors to loneliness that we identified, and of potential strategies for reducing it, suggest that a variety of approaches are relevant to reducing loneliness among people with mental health problems, including peer support and supported self-help, psychological and social interventions, and strategies to facilitate change at community and societal levels. The views and experiences of adults living with mental health problems are a rich source for understanding why loneliness is frequent in this context and what may address it. Co-produced approaches to developing and testing approaches to loneliness interventions can draw on this experiential knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Birken
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Beverley Chipp
- The Loneliness and Social Isolation in Mental Health Research Network Co-Production Group, Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Prisha Shah
- The Loneliness and Social Isolation in Mental Health Research Network Co-Production Group, Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rachel Rowan Olive
- NIHR Mental Health Policy Research Unit COVID-19 Co-Production Group, Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Patrick Nyikavaranda
- NIHR Mental Health Policy Research Unit COVID-19 Co-Production Group, Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jackie Hardy
- The Loneliness and Social Isolation in Mental Health Research Network Co-Production Group, Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Anjie Chhapia
- The Loneliness and Social Isolation in Mental Health Research Network Co-Production Group, Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nick Barber
- The Loneliness and Social Isolation in Mental Health Research Network Co-Production Group, Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen Lee
- The Loneliness and Social Isolation in Mental Health Research Network Co-Production Group, Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Eiluned Pearce
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Rosie Perkins
- Centre for Performance Science, Royal College of Music, London, United Kingdom
- Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - David McDaid
- Care Policy and Evaluation Centre, Department of Health Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Roz Shafran
- Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alexandra Pitman
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sonia Johnson
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
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6
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Liebmann M, Pitman A, Hsueh YC, Bertotti M, Pearce E. Do people perceive benefits in the use of social prescribing to address loneliness and/or social isolation? A qualitative meta-synthesis of the literature. BMC Health Serv Res 2022; 22:1264. [PMID: 36261835 PMCID: PMC9580419 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-022-08656-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Social prescribing is a means by which clinical services can link individuals who have psychological, social and/or practical needs with non-clinical services within their local community. There is a lack of empirical evidence investigating whether social prescribing helps such individuals and which interventions are the most effective and accepted by them to address their loneliness. This meta-synthesis aimed to synthesise findings from qualitative studies exploring experiences of people (of any age) who participated in any social prescribing intervention aimed at loneliness and/or social isolation to ascertain whether they felt it helped address loneliness/isolation and the potential mechanisms by which this might occur. We conducted a systematic search of 5 electronic databases and 4 other databases that would yield grey literature in April 2021 to identify qualitative articles on this topic written in English or French. We assessed the quality of the included studies using recognised tools, and synthesised findings using the approach of thematic analysis. We identified 19 records analysed (e.g. journal articles) from 18 studies meeting inclusion criteria. Our analysis identified three themes: (1) increased sense of wellbeing (with six subthemes), (2) factors that engendered an ongoing desire to connect with others, and (3) perceived drawbacks of social prescribing. These themes illustrate the benefits and difficulties people perceive in social prescribing programmes addressing loneliness and social isolation, with an overall balance of more benefits than drawbacks in social prescribing participation. However, given the unhelpful aspects of social prescribing identified by some participants, greater thought should be given to potential harms. Moreover, further qualitative and quantitative research is needed to better understand mechanisms and effectiveness, and how different components of social prescribing might be best matched to individual participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Liebmann
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Rd, London, W1T 7BN, UK
| | - A Pitman
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Rd, London, W1T 7BN, UK.
| | - Yung-Chia Hsueh
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Rd, London, W1T 7BN, UK
| | - M Bertotti
- Institute for Connected Communities, University of East London, Water Lane, London, E15 4LZ, UK
| | - E Pearce
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Rd, London, W1T 7BN, UK
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Shah P, Hardy J, Birken M, Foye U, Rowan Olive R, Nyikavaranda P, Dare C, Stefanidou T, Schlief M, Pearce E, Lyons N, Machin K, Jeynes T, Chipp B, Chhapia A, Barber N, Gillard S, Pitman A, Simpson A, Johnson S, Lloyd-Evans B. What has changed in the experiences of people with mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic: a coproduced, qualitative interview study. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 2022; 57:1291-1303. [PMID: 35267053 PMCID: PMC8908744 DOI: 10.1007/s00127-022-02254-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE We sought to understand how the experiences of people in the UK with pre-existing mental health conditions had developed during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS In September-October 2020, we interviewed adults with mental health conditions pre-dating the pandemic, whom we had previously interviewed 3 months earlier. Participants had been recruited through online advertising and voluntary sector community organisations. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted by telephone or video-conference by researchers with lived experience of mental health difficulties, and, following principles of thematic analysis, were analysed to explore changes over time in people's experience of the pandemic. RESULTS We interviewed 44 people, achieving diversity of demographic characteristics (73% female, 54% White British, aged 18-75) and a range of mental health conditions and service use among our sample. Three overarching themes were derived from interviews. The first theme "spectrum of adaptation" describes how participants reacted to reduced access to formal and informal support through personal coping responses or seeking new sources of help, with varying degrees of success. The second theme describes "accumulating pressures" from pandemic-related anxieties and sustained disruption to social contact and support, and to mental health treatment. The third theme "feeling overlooked" reflects participants' feeling of people with mental health conditions being ignored during the pandemic by policy-makers at all levels, which was compounded for people from ethnic minority communities or with physical health problems. CONCLUSION In line with previous research, our study highlights the need to support marginalised groups who are at risk of increased inequalities, and to maintain crucial mental and physical healthcare and social care for people with existing mental health conditions, notwithstanding challenges of the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prisha Shah
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7NF, UK
| | - Jackie Hardy
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7NF, UK
| | - Mary Birken
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7NF, UK
| | - Una Foye
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 18 DeCrespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Rachel Rowan Olive
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7NF, UK
| | - Patrick Nyikavaranda
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7NF, UK
| | - Ceri Dare
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7NF, UK
| | - Theodora Stefanidou
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7NF, UK
| | - Merle Schlief
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7NF, UK
| | - Eiluned Pearce
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7NF, UK
| | - Natasha Lyons
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7NF, UK
| | - Karen Machin
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7NF, UK
| | - Tamar Jeynes
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7NF, UK
| | - Beverley Chipp
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7NF, UK
| | - Anjie Chhapia
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7NF, UK
| | - Nick Barber
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7NF, UK
| | - Steven Gillard
- Centre for Mental Health Research, City, University of London, 1 Myddelton Street, London, EC1R 1UW, UK
| | - Alexandra Pitman
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7NF, UK
| | - Alan Simpson
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 18 DeCrespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Sonia Johnson
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7NF, UK
| | - Brynmor Lloyd-Evans
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7NF, UK.
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8
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Toh G, Pearce E, Vines J, Ikhtabi S, Birken M, Pitman A, Johnson S. Digital interventions for subjective and objective social isolation among individuals with mental health conditions: a scoping review. BMC Psychiatry 2022; 22:331. [PMID: 35549899 PMCID: PMC9098213 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-022-03889-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social isolation encompasses subjective and objective concepts. Both are associated with negative health consequences and are more prevalent among people with mental health problems than among the general population. To alleviate social isolation, digital interventions have potential as accessible alternatives or adjuncts to face-to-face interventions. This scoping review aimed to describe the types of digital interventions evaluated for feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness in alleviating social isolation among individuals with mental health problems, and to present an overview of the quantitative evidence yielded to inform future intervention design. METHODS We searched five electronic databases for quantitative and mixed methods studies published between January 2000 and July 2020. Studies were included if they evaluated digital interventions for individuals with mental health conditions, had subjective and/or objective social isolation as their primary outcome, or as one of their outcomes if no primary outcome was specified. Feasibility studies were included if feasibility outcomes were the primary outcomes and social isolation was among their secondary outcomes. A narrative synthesis was conducted to present our findings. The protocol was registered on Open Science Framework (doi: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/CNX8A ). RESULTS Thirty-two studies were included for our review: 16 feasibility studies, seven single-group studies and nine effectiveness trials. There was great variation in the interventions, study designs and sample populations. Interventions included web-based programmes, phone-based programmes, blended interventions, socially assistive robots and virtual reality interventions. Many were feasibility studies, or otherwise not fully powered to detect an effect if one were present, thus preventing clear conclusions about clinical effectiveness. Satisfactory feasibility outcomes indicated potential for future trials to assess these interventions. CONCLUSION Our scoping review identified a range of digital approaches utilized to alleviate social isolation among individuals with mental health disorders. Conclusions regarding clinical effectiveness cannot be reached due to variability of approaches and lack of large-scale randomized controlled trials. To make clear recommendations for digital social isolation interventions, future research needs to be based on rigorous methods and larger samples. Future studies should also focus on utilizing theory-driven approaches and improving existing approaches to advance the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gigi Toh
- Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1W 7NF, UK.
| | - Eiluned Pearce
- Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1W 7NF, UK
| | - John Vines
- School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Crichton St, Newington, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Sarah Ikhtabi
- Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1W 7NF, UK
| | - Mary Birken
- Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1W 7NF, UK
| | - Alexandra Pitman
- Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1W 7NF, UK
- Camden and Islington National Health Service Foundation Trust, St Pancras Hospital, St Pancras Way, London, NW1 0PE, UK
| | - Sonia Johnson
- Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1W 7NF, UK.
- Camden and Islington National Health Service Foundation Trust, St Pancras Hospital, St Pancras Way, London, NW1 0PE, UK.
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Ikhtabi S, Pitman A, Toh G, Birken M, Pearce E, Johnson S. The experience of loneliness among people with a "personality disorder" diagnosis or traits: a qualitative meta-synthesis. BMC Psychiatry 2022; 22:130. [PMID: 35177022 PMCID: PMC8855579 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-022-03767-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Loneliness is prevalent among people with a "personality disorder" diagnosis or who have related personality traits, but the experience of loneliness among people with "personality disorder" diagnoses/traits has not been well described. A qualitative approach has potential to help understand the experience of loneliness among people with "personality disorder" diagnoses/traits, and to develop interventions that promote recovery. We therefore aimed to synthesise the qualitative literature relevant to this topic. METHOD We conducted a meta-synthesis of qualitative studies exploring the subjective experience of loneliness as reported by people with "personality disorder" diagnoses/traits. We searched four databases using pre-formulated search terms, selected eligible articles, appraised the quality of each, and analyzed data from eligible studies using thematic synthesis. RESULT We identified 39 articles that described the experience of loneliness in people with "personality disorder" diagnoses/traits. From extracted data, we identified seven themes: (1) disconnection and emptiness: a "haunting alienation", (2) alienation arising from childhood experiences, (3) thwarted desire for closeness and connection, (4) paradox: for both closeness and distance, (5) experiences of existential loneliness, (6) recovery, embedded in a social world, and (7) group therapy: a setback. Our results suggest that for our sample early alienating and traumatic experiences may pave the way for experiences of loneliness, which further exacerbate "personality disorder" symptoms and distress. CONCLUSION Despite describing a need to belong and efforts to cope with unmet social needs, people with "personality disorder" diagnoses/traits (particularly "emotionally unstable personality disorder") report experiencing an intense disconnection from other people. This seems rooted in early adversities, reinforced by later traumatic experiences. Given the apparent salience of loneliness to people with "personality disorder" diagnoses/traits, interventions focused on helping people connect with others, which may include both psychological and social components, have potential to be beneficial in reducing loneliness and promoting recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexandra Pitman
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201UCL Division of Psychiatry, London, UK ,grid.450564.60000 0000 8609 9937Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Gigi Toh
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201UCL Division of Psychiatry, London, UK
| | - Mary Birken
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201UCL Division of Psychiatry, London, UK
| | - Eiluned Pearce
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201UCL Division of Psychiatry, London, UK
| | - Sonia Johnson
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201UCL Division of Psychiatry, London, UK ,grid.450564.60000 0000 8609 9937Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
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10
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Wang C, Pearce E, Jones R, Lloyd-Evans B. ‘Kindness by Post’: A Mixed-Methods Evaluation of a Participatory Public Mental Health Project. Front Psychol 2022; 12:813432. [PMID: 35197889 PMCID: PMC8858806 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.813432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BackgroundRandom acts of kindness can improve wellbeing. However, less is known about the impacts of giving and receiving acts of kindness with strangers on wellbeing and loneliness. Therefore, this study’s objectives were to evaluate a participatory public mental health project involving sending and receiving a card with goodwill messages, to understand how such acts of kindness influence wellbeing and loneliness, and to investigate the potential mechanisms underlying the project’s impacts.Materials and MethodsThis study was an analysis of anonymized service evaluation data collected in the ‘Kindness by Post’ (KBP) project in 2020. It used a mixed-methods single-group design and data from 289 participants. Changes in wellbeing, loneliness, sense of belonging and hope from baseline (12th–14th February) to follow-up (26th February–2nd March) were analyzed using linear or multinomial logistic regression. Regression models also examined the associations between changes in wellbeing and baseline loneliness or participation level. Free text responses about experiences and suggestions for the project were analyzed using thematic analysis.ResultsParticipants had a small, but statistically significant improvement, in wellbeing equating to 0.21 standard deviations (95% CI: 0.12–0.30) after taking part in the project, as well as improvements in loneliness, sense of belonging and hope. How lonely a participant was at baseline and whether participants both sent and received a kindness card were not associated with improvements in wellbeing. In the qualitative analysis, a desire to help others emerged as the main motivator to take part in the card exchange. Participants reported enhanced personal fulfillment, leading to improvements in wellbeing. Receiving a card could make people feel special and cherished, which was reported to establish a sense of connection with others, with potential benefits for reducing loneliness.ConclusionThis study provided preliminary evidence that the KBP project might improve wellbeing, loneliness, sense of belonging and hope. Sending a kindness card in this project played a predominant role in wellbeing enhancement, and receiving a kindness card could reduce loneliness. This study suggests that the KBP project can be replicated in more contexts in the future, and might improve wellbeing and loneliness in large communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Congxiyu Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Eiluned Pearce
- Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rebecca Jones
- Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Brynmor Lloyd-Evans
- Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Brynmor Lloyd-Evans,
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11
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Mann F, Wang J, Pearce E, Ma R, Schlief M, Lloyd-Evans B, Ikhtabi S, Johnson S. Loneliness and the onset of new mental health problems in the general population. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 2022; 57:2161-2178. [PMID: 35583561 PMCID: PMC9636084 DOI: 10.1007/s00127-022-02261-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Loneliness is associated with poor health including premature mortality. There are cross-sectional associations with depression, anxiety, psychosis, and other mental health outcomes. However, it is not known whether loneliness is causally linked with the new onset of mental health problems in the general population. Longitudinal studies are key to understanding this relationship. We synthesized evidence from longitudinal studies investigating the relationship between loneliness and new onset of mental health problems, in the general population. METHOD We systematically searched six electronic databases, unpublished sources, and hand-searched references, up to August 2021. We conducted a meta-analysis of eight independent cohorts and narrative synthesis of the remaining studies. RESULTS We included 32 studies, of which the majority focused on depression. Our narrative synthesis found most studies show loneliness at baseline which is associated with the subsequent new onset of depression. The few studies on anxiety and self-harm also showed a positive association. Our meta-analysis found a pooled adjusted odds ratio of 2.33 (95% CI 1.62-3.34) for risk of new onset depression in adults who were often lonely compared with people who were not often lonely. This should be interpreted with caution given evidence of heterogeneity. CONCLUSION Loneliness is a public mental health issue. There is growing evidence it is associated with the onset of depression and other common mental health problems. Future studies should explore its impact across the age range and in more diverse populations, look beyond depression, and explore the mechanisms involved with a view to better informing appropriate interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farhana Mann
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Wing B, 6th Floor, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7NF, UK.
| | - Jingyi Wang
- School of Public Health Shanghai, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Eiluned Pearce
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Wing B, 6th Floor, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7NF UK
| | - Ruimin Ma
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Kings College London, London, UK
| | - Merle Schlief
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Wing B, 6th Floor, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7NF UK
| | - Brynmor Lloyd-Evans
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Wing B, 6th Floor, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7NF UK
| | - Sarah Ikhtabi
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Wing B, 6th Floor, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7NF UK
| | - Sonia Johnson
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Wing B, 6th Floor, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7NF UK
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12
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Mann F, Wang J, Pearce E, Ma R, Schlief M, Lloyd-Evans B, Ikhtabi S, Johnson S. Correction to: Loneliness and the onset of new mental health problems in the general population. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 2022; 57:2179. [PMID: 35876865 PMCID: PMC9636082 DOI: 10.1007/s00127-022-02337-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Farhana Mann
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Wing B, 6th Floor, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7NF, UK.
| | - Jingyi Wang
- School of Public Health Shanghai, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Eiluned Pearce
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Wing B, 6th Floor, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7NF, UK
| | - Ruimin Ma
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Kings College London, London, UK
| | - Merle Schlief
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Wing B, 6th Floor, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7NF, UK
| | - Brynmor Lloyd-Evans
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Wing B, 6th Floor, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7NF, UK
| | - Sarah Ikhtabi
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Wing B, 6th Floor, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7NF, UK
| | - Sonia Johnson
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Wing B, 6th Floor, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7NF, UK
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13
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Pearce E, Myles-Hooton P, Johnson S, Hards E, Olsen S, Clisu D, Pais SMA, Chesters HA, Shah S, Jerwood G, Politis M, Melwani J, Andersson G, Shafran R. Loneliness as an active ingredient in preventing or alleviating youth anxiety and depression: a critical interpretative synthesis incorporating principles from rapid realist reviews. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:628. [PMID: 34893578 PMCID: PMC8661314 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01740-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Loneliness is a relatively common problem in young people (14-24 years) and predicts the onset of depression and anxiety. Interventions to reduce loneliness thus have significant potential as active ingredients in strategies to prevent or alleviate anxiety and depression among young people. Previous reviews have focused on quantitative evidence and have not examined potential mechanisms that could be targets for intervention strategies. To build on this work, in this review we aimed to combine qualitative and quantitative evidence with stakeholder views to identify interventions that appear worth testing for their potential effectiveness in reducing loneliness, anxiety and depression in young people aged 14-24 years, and provide insights into the potential mechanisms of action. We conducted a Critical Interpretative Synthesis, a systematic review method that iteratively synthesises qualitative and quantitative evidence and is explicitly focused on building theory through a critical approach to the evidence that questions underlying assumptions. Literature searches were performed using nine databases, and eight additional databases were searched for theses and grey literature. Charity and policy websites were searched for content relevant to interventions for youth loneliness. We incorporated elements of Rapid Realistic Review approaches by consulting with young people and academic experts to feed into search strategies and the resulting conceptual framework, in which we aimed to set out which interventions appear potentially promising in terms of theoretical and empirical underpinnings and which fit with stakeholder views. We reviewed effectiveness data and quality ratings for the included randomised controlled trials only. Through synthesising 27 studies (total participants n = 105,649; range 1-102,072 in different studies) and grey literature, and iteratively consulting with stakeholders, a conceptual framework was developed. A range of 'Intrapersonal' (e.g. therapy that changes thinking and behaviour), 'Interpersonal' (e.g. improving social skills), and 'Social' Strategies (e.g. enhancing social support, and providing opportunities for social contact) seem worth testing further for their potential to help young people address loneliness, thereby preventing or alleviating depression and/or anxiety. Such strategies should be co-designed with young people and personalised to fit individual needs. Plausible mechanisms of action are facilitating sustained social support, providing opportunities for young people to socialise with peers who share similar experiences, and changing thinking and behaviour, for instance through building positive attitudes to themselves and others. The most convincing evidence of effectiveness was found in support of Intrapersonal Strategies: two randomised controlled studies quality-rated as 'good' found decreases in loneliness associated with different forms of therapy (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or peer network counselling), although power calculations were not reported, and effect sizes were small or missing. Strategies to address loneliness and prevent or alleviate anxiety and depression need to be co-designed and personalised. Promising elements to incorporate into these strategies are social support, including from peers with similar experiences, and psychological therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eiluned Pearce
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Pamela Myles-Hooton
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Sonia Johnson
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK ,grid.450564.6Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Emily Hards
- grid.7340.00000 0001 2162 1699Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Samantha Olsen
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Denisa Clisu
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Sarah M. A. Pais
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Heather A. Chesters
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Shyamal Shah
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Georgia Jerwood
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Marina Politis
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Joshua Melwani
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Gerhard Andersson
- grid.5640.70000 0001 2162 9922Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Roz Shafran
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
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14
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Dunbar RIM, Frangou A, Grainger F, Pearce E. Laughter influences social bonding but not prosocial generosity to friends and strangers. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0256229. [PMID: 34388212 PMCID: PMC8362988 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans deploy a number of specific behaviours for forming social bonds, one of which is laughter. However, two questions have not yet been investigated with respect to laughter: (1) Does laughter increase the sense of bonding to those with whom we laugh? and (2) Does laughter facilitate prosocial generosity? Using changes in pain threshold as a proxy for endorphin upregulation in the brain and a standard economic game (the Dictator Game) as an assay of prosociality, we show that laughter does trigger the endorphin system and, through that, seems to enhance social bonding, but it does not reliably influence donations to others. This suggests that social bonding and prosociality may operate via different mechanisms, or on different time scales, and relate to different functional objectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. I. M. Dunbar
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Frangou
- Big Data Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Felix Grainger
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Eiluned Pearce
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychiatry, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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15
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Dunbar RIM, Pearce E, Tarr B, Makdani A, Bamford J, Smith S, McGlone F. Cochlear SGN neurons elevate pain thresholds in response to music. Sci Rep 2021; 11:14547. [PMID: 34267302 PMCID: PMC8282857 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-93969-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The C-tactile (CLTM) peripheral nervous system is involved in social bonding in primates and humans through its capacity to trigger the brain’s endorphin system. Since the mammalian cochlea has an unusually high density of similar neurons (type-II spiral ganglion neurons, SGNs), we hypothesise that their function may have been exploited for social bonding by co-opting head movements in response to music and other rhythmic movements of the head in social contexts. Music provides one of many cultural behavioural mechanisms for ‘virtual grooming’ in that it is used to trigger the endorphin system with many people simultaneously so as to bond both dyadic relationships and large groups. Changes in pain threshold across an activity are a convenient proxy assay for endorphin uptake in the brain, and we use this, in two experiments, to show that pain thresholds are higher when nodding the head than when sitting still.
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Affiliation(s)
- R I M Dunbar
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Anna Watts Building, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Oxford, OX1 6GG, UK.
| | - Eiluned Pearce
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Anna Watts Building, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Oxford, OX1 6GG, UK.,Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, WC1A 4AA, UK
| | - Bronwyn Tarr
- Institute of Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Oxford, Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 6PE, UK
| | - Adarsh Makdani
- Research Centre Brain and Behaviour, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK
| | - Joshua Bamford
- Institute of Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Oxford, Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 6PE, UK
| | - Sharon Smith
- Research Centre Brain and Behaviour, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK
| | - Francis McGlone
- Research Centre Brain and Behaviour, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK.,Institute of Psychology, Health and Society, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
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16
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Lee SL, Pearce E, Ajnakina O, Johnson S, Lewis G, Mann F, Pitman A, Solmi F, Sommerlad A, Steptoe A, Tymoszuk U, Lewis G. The association between loneliness and depressive symptoms among adults aged 50 years and older: a 12-year population-based cohort study. Lancet Psychiatry 2021; 8:48-57. [PMID: 33181096 PMCID: PMC8009277 DOI: 10.1016/s2215-0366(20)30383-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 48.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Loneliness is experienced by a third of older adults in the UK and is a modifiable potential risk factor for depressive symptoms. It is unclear how the association between loneliness and depressive symptoms persists over time, and whether it is independent of related social constructs and genetic confounders. We aimed to investigate the association between loneliness and depressive symptoms, assessed on multiple occasions during 12 years of follow-up, in a large, nationally representative cohort of adults aged 50 years and older in England. METHODS We did a longitudinal study using seven waves of data that were collected once every 2 years between 2004 and 2017, from adults aged 50 years and older in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). The exposure was loneliness at baseline (wave two), measured with the short 1980 revision of the University of California, Los Angeles Loneliness Scale (R-UCLA). The primary outcome was a score indicating severity of depression measured at six subsequent timepoints (waves three to eight), using the eight-item version of the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Analyses were linear multilevel regressions, before and after adjusting for social isolation, social support, polygenic risk scores, and other sociodemographic and health-related confounders. The secondary outcome was depression diagnosis, measured using a binary version of the CES-D. FINDINGS 4211 (46%) of 9171 eligible participants had complete data on exposure, outcome, and confounders, and were included in our complete case sample. After all adjustments, a 1-point increase in loneliness score was associated with a 0·16 (95% CI 0·13-0·19) increase in depressive symptom severity score (averaged across all follow-ups). We estimated a population attributable fraction for depression associated with loneliness of 18% (95% CI 12-24) at 1 year of follow-up and 11% (3-19) at the final follow-up (wave eight), suggesting that 11-18% of cases of depression could potentially be prevented if loneliness were eliminated. Associations between loneliness and depressive symptoms remained after 12 years of follow-up, although effect sizes were smaller with longer follow-up. INTERPRETATION Irrespective of other social experiences, higher loneliness scores at baseline were associated with higher depression symptom severity scores during 12 years of follow-up among adults aged 50 years and older. Interventions that reduce loneliness could prevent or reduce depression in older adults, which presents a growing public health problem worldwide. FUNDING National Institute on Aging and a consortium of UK Government departments coordinated by the National Institute for Health Research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siu Long Lee
- Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Eiluned Pearce
- Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Olesya Ajnakina
- Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, London, UK; Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Sonia Johnson
- Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, UK; Camden and Islington National Health Service Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Glyn Lewis
- Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, UK; Camden and Islington National Health Service Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Farhana Mann
- Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, UK; Camden and Islington National Health Service Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Alexandra Pitman
- Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, UK; Camden and Islington National Health Service Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Francesca Solmi
- Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Andrew Sommerlad
- Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, UK; Camden and Islington National Health Service Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Andrew Steptoe
- Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Urszula Tymoszuk
- Centre for Performance Science, Royal College of Music, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Gemma Lewis
- Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, UK.
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17
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Pearce E, Machin A, Dunbar RIM. Sex Differences in Intimacy Levels in Best Friendships and Romantic Partnerships. Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-020-00155-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
AbstractObjectives Close romantic and friendship relationships are crucial for successful survival and reproduction. Both provide emotional support that can have significant effects on an individual’s health and wellbeing, and through this their longer term survival and fitness. Nonetheless, the factors that create and maintain intimacy in close relationships remain unclear. Nor is it entirely clear what differentiates romantic relationships from friendships in these terms. In this paper, we explore which factors most strongly predict intimacy in these two kinds of relationship, and how these differ between the two sexes. Results Aside from best friendships being highly gendered in both sexes, the dynamics of these two types of relationships differ between the sexes. The intimacy of female relationships was influenced by similarity (homophily) in many more factors (notably dependability, kindness, mutual support, sense of humour) than was the case for men. Some factors had opposite effects in the two sexes: gift-giving had a negative effect on women’s friendships and a positive effect on men’s, whereas shared histories had the opposite effect. Conclusion These results confirm and extend previous findings that the dynamics of male and female relationships are very different in ways that may reflect differences in their functions.
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Achterbergh L, Pitman A, Birken M, Pearce E, Sno H, Johnson S. The experience of loneliness among young people with depression: a qualitative meta-synthesis of the literature. BMC Psychiatry 2020; 20:415. [PMID: 32831064 PMCID: PMC7444250 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-020-02818-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Young people have a higher prevalence of loneliness than other age groups, and they are also at risk of depression. Quantitative studies describe a bidirectional association between loneliness and depression, but there is limited understanding of how these influence each other. Little is known about the experience of loneliness among young people with depression. Qualitative approaches may help understand the relationship between loneliness and depression among young people, and how to intervene to improve outcomes. We aimed to conduct a meta-synthesis to understand the complex inter-relationship between loneliness and depression among young depressed people by synthesising evidence from a systematic review of qualitative studies. METHODS We conducted a meta-synthesis of qualitative studies capturing experiences of loneliness among young people with depression. We systematically searched six electronic databases for selected search terms, critically appraised eligible studies, and analysed the data from included studies using the approach of thematic synthesis. We used feedback from an inter-disciplinary research workshop to improve reflexivity. RESULTS Our inclusion criteria identified fourteen studies. Our analysis identified four themes: (1) social withdrawal due to poor mental health, (2) non-disclosure of depression contributing to social distance, (3) the desire to connect, and (4) paradoxes of loneliness and depression. These themes illustrated a range of pathways between depression and loneliness, and a sense of how these might be mutually reinforcing. Our findings suggest that where depressed individuals engage in certain behaviours (withdrawing; not confiding) for a range of reasons, this can lead to feelings of loneliness, an awareness of which worsens their mood, thus perpetuating their depression. CONCLUSIONS Young people with depression experience loneliness as an insurmountable distance between themselves and others. Our findings identified non-disclosure of depression, and the debilitating nature of the depressive symptomatology, as factors perpetuating a vicious cycle of loneliness and depression. They suggest that approaches to tackling the problem might include helping young people communicate about their depression to trusted friends and educating their social networks in how to support them. The wider research literature suggests that cognitive interventions may have a role in shifting maladaptive cognitions about their social world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis Achterbergh
- UCL Division of Psychiatry, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7NF, UK. .,Amsterdam UMC, location AMC (University of Amsterdam), Meibergdreef 9, 1105, Amsterdam, AZ, Netherlands.
| | - Alexandra Pitman
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201UCL Division of Psychiatry, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7NF UK ,grid.439468.4Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, St Pancras Hospital, 4 St Pancras Way, London, NW1 0PE UK
| | - Mary Birken
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201UCL Division of Psychiatry, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7NF UK
| | - Eiluned Pearce
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201UCL Division of Psychiatry, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7NF UK
| | - Herman Sno
- grid.7177.60000000084992262Amsterdam UMC, location AMC (University of Amsterdam), Meibergdreef 9, 1105 Amsterdam, AZ Netherlands
| | - Sonia Johnson
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201UCL Division of Psychiatry, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7NF UK ,grid.439468.4Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, St Pancras Hospital, 4 St Pancras Way, London, NW1 0PE UK
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Laakasuo M, Rotkirch A, van Duijn M, Berg V, Jokela M, David-Barrett T, Miettinen A, Pearce E, Dunbar R. Homophily in Personality Enhances Group Success Among Real-Life Friends. Front Psychol 2020; 11:710. [PMID: 32431638 PMCID: PMC7212830 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Personality affects dyadic relations and teamwork, yet its role among groups of friends has been little explored. We examine for the first time whether similarity in personality enhances the effectiveness of real-life friendship groups. Using data from a longitudinal study of a European fraternity (10 male and 15 female groups), we investigate how individual Big Five personality traits were associated with group formation and whether personality homophily related to how successful the groups were over 1 year (N = 147-196). Group success was measured as group performance/identification (adoption of group markers) and as group bonding (using the inclusion-of-other-in-self scale). Results show that individuals' similarity in neuroticism and conscientiousness predicted group formation. Furthermore, personality similarity was associated with group success, even after controlling for individual's own personality. Especially higher group-level similarity in conscientiousness was associated with group performance, and with bonding in male groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Laakasuo
- Department of Digital Humanities, Cognitive Science Unit, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anna Rotkirch
- Population Research Institute, Väestöliitto, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Max van Duijn
- Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science (LIACS), Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Venla Berg
- Population Research Institute, Väestöliitto, Helsinki, Finland
- Institute of Criminology and Legal Policy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Markus Jokela
- Department of Digital Humanities, Cognitive Science Unit, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tamas David-Barrett
- Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile
- Trinity College, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Väestöliitto Population Research Institute, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Eiluned Pearce
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Robin Dunbar
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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Pearce E, Wlodarski R, Machin A, Dunbar RIM. Genetic Influences on Social Relationships: Sex Differences in the Mediating Role of Personality and Social Cognition. Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-019-00120-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Objectives
In humans (and primates more generally), evolutionary fitness arises by two separate routes: conventional reproduction build around dyadic relationships and, reflecting the processes of group augmentation selection, how well individuals are embedded in their community. These processes are facilitated by a suite of genetically inherited neuroendocrines and neurotransmitters. It is not, however, known whether these effects are directly due to genetic factors or are mediated by aspects of personality, or whether there are sex differences in the way this is organised.
Methods
We examine whether dispositional factors related to the processing of social information, such as personality (Big 5 and Impulsivity), attachment style (Anxious and Avoidant dimensions) and sociocognitive capacity (emotion recognition) mediate associations between variation in receptor genes for oxytocin, vasopressin, beta-endorphin, dopamine, serotonin, testosterone and two core social relationship indices (the Sociosexual Orientation Index [SOI] and Support Network size).
Results
In men, variation in dopamine genes indirectly influences SOI through its effect on Impulsivity. In contrast, in women, variation in endorphin and vasopressin genes independently affect Openness to Experience, which mediates indirect effects of these genes on SOI. Moreover, endorphin gene variation also impacts on Network Size in women (but not men), via Extraversion.
Conclusions
These findings reveal that dispositional aspects of personality mediate some genetic effects on behaviour, thereby extending our understanding of how genetic and dispositional variation interact to determine individual differences in human sexual and social cognition and behaviour. The differences between the sexes seem to reflect differences in the two sexes’ social strategies.
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Pearce E, Wlodarski R, Machin A, Dunbar RIM. Exploring the links between dispositions, romantic relationships, support networks and community inclusion in men and women. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0216210. [PMID: 31063463 PMCID: PMC6504087 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Most studies of social cognition have focused on dyadic relationships, and rather few have looked at how we engage with individuals in the wider social world into which we are embedded. Here we use principle component analysis (PCA) and path analysis to explore how different aspects of human sociality interact. We demonstrate two distinct clusters in both sexes relating to (i) romantic relationships and (ii) wider social engagement, such as that with the local community. These two domains of relationship were associated with different dispositional traits: individual variation in impulsivity in the former, and in empathy and avoidant attachment in the latter. Although these clusters were broadly similar across both sexes, clearer differentiation is evident in males. In females only, support network size was positively related to the anxious dimension of attachment and, unlike in males, was not related to feelings of inclusion in the local community. This suggests that support networks may play different roles in the two sexes, indicating a productive line of future research. These findings have important practical applications: loneliness interventions that target the specific type of relationship that is felt to be lacking and the associated dispositional traits are likely to be more effective than more generic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eiluned Pearce
- Social & Evolutionary Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Rafael Wlodarski
- Social & Evolutionary Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Machin
- Social & Evolutionary Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Robin I. M. Dunbar
- Social & Evolutionary Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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Abstract
Diabetic retinopathy is a common microvascular complication of diabetes and remains one of the leading causes of preventable blindness in working-age people. Non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy is the earliest stage of diabetic retinopathy and is typically asymptomatic. Currently, the severity of diabetic retinopathy is assessed using semi-quantitative grading systems based on the presence or absence of retinal lesions. These methods are well validated, but do not predict those at high risk of rapid progression to sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy; therefore, new approaches for identifying these people are a current unmet need. We evaluated published data reporting the lesion characteristics associated with different progression profiles in people with non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Based on these findings, we propose that additional assessments of features of non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy lesions may help to stratify people based on the likelihood of rapid progression. In addition to the current classification, the following measurements should be considered: the shape and size of lesions; whether lesions are angiogenic in origin; the location of lesions, including predominantly peripheral lesions; and lesion turnover and dynamics. For lesions commonly seen in hypertensive retinopathy, a detailed assessment of potential concomitant diseases is also recommended. We believe that natural history studies of these changes will help characterize these non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy progression profiles and advance our understanding of the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy in order to individualize management of people with diabetic retinopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. Sivaprasad
- Moorfields Eye HospitalLondonUK
- University College LondonLondonUK
| | - E. Pearce
- Moorfields Eye HospitalLondonUK
- University College LondonLondonUK
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Pearce E, Wlodarski R, Machin A, Dunbar RIM. Associations between neurochemical receptor genes, 2D:4D, impulsivity and relationship quality. Biol Lett 2018; 14:20180642. [PMID: 30518641 PMCID: PMC6303519 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2018.0642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2018] [Accepted: 11/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The ratio between the second and fourth digits (2D:4D) has been widely used as a proxy for fetal exposure to androgens and has been linked to a number of sociosexual traits in humans. However, the role of genes in this equation remains unknown. Here (N = 474), we test, firstly, for associations between 2D:4D and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in nine neurochemical receptor genes (AR, OXTR, AVPR1A, OPRM1, DRD1/2, ANKK1, 5HTR1A/2A), and secondly, whether digit ratios mediate the relationship between genetic variation and sociosexuality. We demonstrate significant associations between AR, OPRM1 and AVPR1A and 2D:4D. Moreover, mediation analysis indicates that, in women, AR and OPRM1 variation drives digit ratios, which are related positively to impulsivity and, for OPRM1, negatively to romantic relationship quality. Although these findings are subject to multiple testing issues, this study provides preliminary evidence that in women genetic factors may affect both impulsivity and perceived relationship quality through influencing factors indexed by digit ratios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eiluned Pearce
- Social and Evolutionary Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Anna Watts Building, Radcliffe Observatory, Woodstock Road, Quarter, Oxford OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Rafael Wlodarski
- Social and Evolutionary Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Anna Watts Building, Radcliffe Observatory, Woodstock Road, Quarter, Oxford OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Anna Machin
- Social and Evolutionary Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Anna Watts Building, Radcliffe Observatory, Woodstock Road, Quarter, Oxford OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Robin I M Dunbar
- Social and Evolutionary Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Anna Watts Building, Radcliffe Observatory, Woodstock Road, Quarter, Oxford OX2 6GG, UK
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Pearce E, Wlodarski R, Machin A, Dunbar RIM. The Influence of Genetic Variation on Social Disposition, Romantic Relationships and Social Networks: a Replication Study. Adapt Human Behav Physiol 2018; 4:400-422. [PMID: 30393594 PMCID: PMC6190642 DOI: 10.1007/s40750-018-0101-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2018] [Revised: 08/02/2018] [Accepted: 08/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Sociality is underpinned by a variety of neurochemicals. We previously showed, in a large healthy Caucasian sample, that genes for different neurochemicals are typically associated with differing social domains (disposition, romantic relationships and networks). Here we seek to confirm the validity of these findings by asking whether they replicate in other population samples. METHODS We test for associations between the same 24 Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) and measures of sociality as previously, in two smaller independent samples: Caucasian individuals with histories of mental illness (subclinical sample) (N = 140), and non-Caucasian individuals (N = 66). We also combined the relevant SNPs and social measures into 18 distinct neurochemical/social domain categories to examine the distribution of significant associations across these. RESULTS In the subclinical Caucasian sample, we confirm previous associations between (i) specific oxytocin and dopamine receptor gene SNPs and sexual attitudes and behavior, and (ii) two SNPs associated with dopamine receptor 2 and feelings of inclusion in the local community. In the non-Caucasian sample, we replicate the previous association between an oxytocin receptor SNP and anxious attachment. More generally, chi-squared tests indicated that the distribution of significant associations for each neurochemical across the three social domains did not differ significantly between the original sample and either of the new samples, except for oxytocin in the non-Caucasian sample. CONCLUSIONS These results corroborate both the SNP-specific and broader neurochemical associations with particular facets of sociality in two new populations, thereby confirming the validity of the previous findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eiluned Pearce
- Social & Evolutionary Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Anna Watts Building, Radcliffe Observatory, Woodstock Rd, Quarter, Oxford, OX2 6GG UK
| | - Rafael Wlodarski
- Social & Evolutionary Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Anna Watts Building, Radcliffe Observatory, Woodstock Rd, Quarter, Oxford, OX2 6GG UK
| | - Anna Machin
- Social & Evolutionary Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Anna Watts Building, Radcliffe Observatory, Woodstock Rd, Quarter, Oxford, OX2 6GG UK
| | - Robin I. M. Dunbar
- Social & Evolutionary Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Anna Watts Building, Radcliffe Observatory, Woodstock Rd, Quarter, Oxford, OX2 6GG UK
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Pearce E, Launay J, van Duijn M, Rotkirch A, David-Barrett T, Dunbar RIM. Singing together or apart: The effect of competitive and cooperative singing on social bonding within and between sub-groups of a university Fraternity. Psychol Music 2016; 44:1255-1273. [PMID: 27777494 PMCID: PMC5074360 DOI: 10.1177/0305735616636208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Singing together seems to facilitate social bonding, but it is unclear whether this is true in all contexts. Here we examine the social bonding outcomes of naturalistic singing behaviour in a European university Fraternity composed of exclusive 'Cliques': recognised sub-groups of 5-20 friends who adopt a special name and identity. Singing occurs frequently in this Fraternity, both 'competitively' (contests between Cliques) and 'cooperatively' (multiple Cliques singing together). Both situations were re-created experimentally in order to explore how competitive and cooperative singing affects feelings of closeness towards others. Participants were assigned to teams of four and were asked to sing together with another team either from the same Clique or from a different Clique. Participants (N = 88) felt significantly closer to teams from different Cliques after singing with them compared to before, regardless of whether they cooperated with (singing loudly together) or competed against (trying to singing louder than) the other team. In contrast, participants reported reduced closeness with other teams from their own Clique after competing with them. These results indicate that group singing can increase closeness to less familiar individuals regardless of whether they share a common motivation, but that singing competitively may reduce closeness within a very tight-knit group.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Anna Rotkirch
- Population Research Institute, Väestöliitto, Finland
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26
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Pearce E, Launay J, Machin A, Dunbar RIM. Is group singing special? Health, well-being and social bonds in community-based adult education classes. J Community Appl Soc Psychol 2016; 26:518-533. [PMID: 27867282 DOI: 10.1002/casp.2278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Evidence demonstrates that group singing improves health and well-being, but the precise mechanisms remain unknown. Given that cohesive social networks also positively influence health, we focus on the social aspects of singing, exploring whether improvements in health and well-being are mediated by stronger social bonds, both to the group as a whole (collective-bonding) and to individual classmates (relational-bonding). To do so, seven newly-formed community-based adult education classes (four singing, N=84, and three comparison classes studying creative writing or crafts, N=51) were followed over seven months. Self-report questionnaire data on mental and physical health, well-being, and social bonding were collected at Months 1, 3 and 7. We demonstrate that physical and mental health and satisfaction with life significantly improved over time in both conditions. Path analysis did not show any indirect effects via social bonding of Condition on health and well-being. However, higher collective-bonding at timepoint 3 significantly predicted increased flourishing, reduced anxiety and improved physical health independently of baseline levels. In contrast, relational-bonding showed no such effects, suggesting that it is feeling part of a group that particularly yields health and well-being benefits. Moreover, these results indicate that singing may not improve health and well-being more than other types of activities. Nonetheless, these findings encourage further work to refine our understanding of the social aspects of community-based adult education classes in promoting health, well-being and community cohesion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eiluned Pearce
- Social & Evolutionary Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford
| | - Jacques Launay
- Social & Evolutionary Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford
| | - Anna Machin
- Social & Evolutionary Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford
| | - Robin I M Dunbar
- Social & Evolutionary Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford
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Wu D, Dunlap M, Huang D, Pearce E, Kim A. THU0003 Mouse B Cell Cytokine Production Requires Oxidative Phosphorylation Mediated by Glycolysis and Fatty Acid Oxidation. Ann Rheum Dis 2016. [DOI: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2016-eular.4876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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Weinstein D, Launay J, Pearce E, Dunbar RIM, Stewart L. Group music performance causes elevated pain thresholds and social bonding in small and large groups of singers. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2016; 37:152-158. [PMID: 27158219 DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2015.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Over our evolutionary history, humans have faced the problem of how to create and maintain social bonds in progressively larger groups compared to those of our primate ancestors. Evidence from historical and anthropological records suggests that group music-making might act as a mechanism by which this large-scale social bonding could occur. While previous research has shown effects of music making on social bonds in small group contexts, the question of whether this effect 'scales up' to larger groups is particularly important when considering the potential role of music for large-scale social bonding. The current study recruited individuals from a community choir that met in both small (n = 20 - 80) and large (a 'megachoir' combining individuals from the smaller subchoirs n = 232) group contexts. Participants gave self-report measures (via a survey) of social bonding and had pain threshold measurements taken (as a proxy for endorphin release) before and after 90 minutes of singing. Results showed that feelings of inclusion, connectivity, positive affect, and measures of endorphin release all increased across singing rehearsals and that the influence of group singing was comparable for pain thresholds in the large versus small group context. Levels of social closeness were found to be greater at pre- and post-levels for the small choir condition. However, the large choir condition experienced a greater change in social closeness as compared to the small condition. The finding that singing together fosters social closeness - even in large contexts where individuals are not known to each other - is consistent with evolutionary accounts that emphasize the role of music in social bonding, particularly in the context of creating larger cohesive groups than other primates are able to manage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Weinstein
- Goldsmiths, University of London, Lewisham Way, New Cross, London SE14 6NW, United Kingdom, +44 20 7919 7171
| | - Jacques Launay
- University of Oxford, Department of Experimental Psychology, Tinbergen Building, Oxford, OX1 3UD, United Kingdom, +44 1865 271367
| | - Eiluned Pearce
- University of Oxford, Department of Experimental Psychology, Tinbergen Building, Oxford, OX1 3UD, United Kingdom, +44 1865 271367
| | - Robin I M Dunbar
- University of Oxford, Department of Experimental Psychology, Tinbergen Building, Oxford, OX1 3UD, United Kingdom, +44 1865 271367
| | - Lauren Stewart
- Goldsmiths, University of London, Lewisham Way, New Cross, London SE14 6NW, United Kingdom, +44 20 7919 7171
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Weinstein D, Launay J, Pearce E, Dunbar RI, Stewart L. Singing and social bonding: changes in connectivity and pain threshold as a function of group size. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2016. [DOI: 10.10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2015.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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Dunbar R, Pearce E, Stringer C. Response to: Traynor et al. “assessing eye orbits as predictors of neandertal group size”. Am J Phys Anthropol 2015; 159:358-60. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2015] [Accepted: 09/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Robin Dunbar
- Department of Experimental Psychology; University of Oxford; Oxford OX1 3UD UK
| | - Eiluned Pearce
- Department of Experimental Psychology; University of Oxford; Oxford OX1 3UD UK
| | - Chris Stringer
- Department of Earth Sciences; Natural History Museum; Cromwell Road London SW7 5BD UK
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Pearce E, Launay J, Dunbar RIM. The ice-breaker effect: singing mediates fast social bonding. R Soc Open Sci 2015; 2:150221. [PMID: 26587241 PMCID: PMC4632513 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.150221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2015] [Accepted: 09/29/2015] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
It has been proposed that singing evolved to facilitate social cohesion. However, it remains unclear whether bonding arises out of properties intrinsic to singing or whether any social engagement can have a similar effect. Furthermore, previous research has used one-off singing sessions without exploring the emergence of social bonding over time. In this semi-naturalistic study, we followed newly formed singing and non-singing (crafts or creative writing) adult education classes over seven months. Participants rated their closeness to their group and their affect, and were given a proxy measure of endorphin release, before and after their class, at three timepoints (months 1, 3 and 7). We show that although singers and non-singers felt equally connected by timepoint 3, singers experienced much faster bonding: singers demonstrated a significantly greater increase in closeness at timepoint 1, but the more gradual increase shown by non-singers caught up over time. This represents the first evidence for an 'ice-breaker effect' of singing in promoting fast cohesion between unfamiliar individuals, which bypasses the need for personal knowledge of group members gained through prolonged interaction. We argue that singing may have evolved to quickly bond large human groups of relative strangers, potentially through encouraging willingness to coordinate by enhancing positive affect.
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Pearce E, Moutsiou T. Using obsidian transfer distances to explore social network maintenance in late Pleistocene hunter-gatherers. J Anthropol Archaeol 2014; 36:12-20. [PMID: 25214705 PMCID: PMC4157217 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaa.2014.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Social behaviour is notoriously difficult to study archaeologically and it is unclear how large the networks of prehistoric humans were, or how they remained connected. Maintaining social cohesion was crucial for early humans because social networks facilitate cooperation and are imperative for survival and reproduction. Recent hunter-gatherer social organisation typically comprises a number of nested layers, ranging from the nuclear family through to the ~1500-strong ethnolinguistic tribe. Here we compare maximum obsidian transfer distances from the late Pleistocene with ethnographic data on the size of the geographic areas associated with each of these social grouping layers in recent hunter-gatherers. The closest match between the two is taken to indicate the maximum social layer within which contact could be sustained by Pleistocene hominins. Within both the (sub)tropical African and Subarctic biomes, the maximum obsidian transfer distances for Pleistocene modern humans (~200km and ~400km respectively) correspond to the geographic ranges of the outermost tribal layer in recent hunter-gatherers. This suggests that modern humans could potentially sustain the cohesion of their entire tribe at all latitudes, even though networks are more dispersed nearer the poles. Neanderthal obsidian transfer distances (300km) indicate that although Neanderthal home ranges are larger than those of low latitude hominins, Neanderthals travelled shorter distances than modern humans living at the same high latitudes. We argue that, like modern humans, Neanderthals could have maintained tribal cohesion, but that their tribes were substantially smaller than those of contemporary modern humans living in similar environments. The greater time taken to traverse the larger modern human tribal ranges may have limited the frequency of their face-to-face interactions and thus necessitated additional mechanisms to ensure network connectivity, such as the exchange of symbolic artefacts including ornaments and figurines. Such cultural supports may not have been required to the same extent by the Neanderthals due to their smaller tribes and home ranges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eiluned Pearce
- Social and Evolutionary Neuroscience Research Group, Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3UD, UK
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Abstract
Due to decreasing resource densities, higher latitude hunter-gatherers need to maintain their social networks over greater geographic distances than their equatorial counterparts. This suggests that as latitude increases, the frequency of face-to-face interaction decreases for 'weak tie' relationships in the outer mating pool (~500-strong) and tribal (~1500-strong) layers of a hunter-gatherer social network. A key question, then, is how a hunter-gatherer tribe sustains coherence as a single identifiable unit given that members are distributed across a large geographic area. The first step in answering this question is to establish whether the expectation that network maintenance raises a challenge for hunter-gatherers is correct, or whether sustaining inter-group contact is in fact trivial. Here I present a null model that represents mobile groups as randomly and independently moving gas particles. The aim of this model is to examine whether face-to-face contact can be maintained with every member of an individual's tribe at all latitudes even under the baseline assumption of random movement. Contrary to baseline expectations, the number of encounters between groups predicted by the gas model cannot support tribal cohesion and is significantly negatively associated with absolute latitude. In addition, above ~40 degrees latitude random mobility no longer produces a sufficient number of encounters between groups to maintain contact across the 500-strong mating pool. These model predictions suggest that the outermost layers of hunter-gatherers' social networks may require additional mechanisms of support in the form of strategies that either enhance encounter rates, such as coordinated mobility patterns, or lessen the need for face-to-face interaction, such as the use of symbolic artefacts to represent social affiliations. Given the predicted decline in encounters away from the equator, such additional supports might be most strongly expressed at high latitudes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eiluned Pearce
- Social and Evolutionary Neuroscience Research Group, Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3UD, UK, +441865 271 367,
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Wilson GJ, Blyde D, Forsayeth AM, Pearce E. Tooth resorption in an Australian sea lion. J Vet Dent 2014; 31:106-7. [PMID: 25185335 DOI: 10.1177/089875641403100207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Mathew R, Pearce E, Muniraju R, Abdel-Hay A, Abdul-Hey A, Sivaprasad S. Monthly OCT monitoring of Ozurdex for macular oedema related to retinal vascular diseases: re-treatment strategy (OCTOME Report 1). Eye (Lond) 2014; 28:318-26. [PMID: 24384961 DOI: 10.1038/eye.2013.287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2013] [Accepted: 11/22/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To evaluate the morphological and functional changes following intravitreal Ozurdex (dexamethasone implant) injections in patients with macular oedema (MO) secondary to retinal vascular diseases. DESIGN This is a single centre, exploratory phase III, prospective, open-label clinical study. METHODS Thirty patients with MO secondary to retinal vascular disorders underwent assessments for best corrected visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, microperimetry, chromatic sensitivity, macular thickness, and morphology using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and fluorescein angiography at baseline. They were treated with intravitreal Ozurdex at baseline and monitored monthly with visual acuity and SD-OCT assessments up to 36 weeks. Re-treatment was permitted from 16 to 24 weeks according to pre-defined criteria. All visual function tests were repeated at 24 weeks. RESULTS The mean change in central sub-field thickness (CST) from baseline was significant at all visits up to 32 weeks. The lowest mean CST was recorded at 8 weeks and the highest mean ETDRS score was achieved at 12 weeks. All visual functions except contrast sensitivity improved significantly by 24 weeks. The study showed that the ideal re-treatment time point based on functional and structural outcomes and known side-effects of Ozurdex treatment is at 20 weeks. CONCLUSION Ozurdex therapy has a rapid and dramatic effect on the macula for about 8 weeks followed by a sustained modest effect up to week 32. The optimal re-treatment time point is at 20 weeks.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Mathew
- Laser and Retinal Research Unit, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - E Pearce
- Laser and Retinal Research Unit, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - R Muniraju
- Laser and Retinal Research Unit, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | | | - A Abdul-Hey
- Laser and Retinal Research Unit, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - S Sivaprasad
- Laser and Retinal Research Unit, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
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Abstract
BACKGROUND In humans orbital volume increases linearly with absolute latitude. Scaling across mammals between visual system components suggests that these larger orbits should translate into larger eyes and visual cortices in high latitude humans. Larger eyes at high latitudes may be required to maintain adequate visual acuity and enhance visual sensitivity under lower light levels. AIM To test the assumption that orbital volume can accurately index eyeball and visual cortex volumes specifically in humans. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) techniques are employed to measure eye and orbit (n = 88) and brain and visual cortex (n = 99) volumes in living humans. Facial dimensions and foramen magnum area (a proxy for body mass) were also measured. RESULTS A significant positive linear relationship was found between (i) orbital and eyeball volumes, (ii) eyeball and visual cortex grey matter volumes and (iii) different visual cortical areas, independently of overall brain volume. CONCLUSION In humans the components of the visual system scale from orbit to eye to visual cortex volume independently of overall brain size. These findings indicate that orbit volume can index eye and visual cortex volume in humans, suggesting that larger high latitude orbits do translate into larger visual cortices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eiluned Pearce
- Department of Anthropology, University of Oxford , 64 Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 6PN , UK
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Pearce E, Stringer C, Dunbar RIM. New insights into differences in brain organization between Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans. Proc Biol Sci 2013; 280:20130168. [PMID: 23486442 PMCID: PMC3619466 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.0168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2013] [Accepted: 02/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous research has identified morphological differences between the brains of Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans (AMHs). However, studies using endocasts or the cranium itself are limited to investigating external surface features and the overall size and shape of the brain. A complementary approach uses comparative primate data to estimate the size of internal brain areas. Previous attempts to do this have generally assumed that identical total brain volumes imply identical internal organization. Here, we argue that, in the case of Neanderthals and AMHs, differences in the size of the body and visual system imply differences in organization between the same-sized brains of these two taxa. We show that Neanderthals had significantly larger visual systems than contemporary AMHs (indexed by orbital volume) and that when this, along with their greater body mass, is taken into account, Neanderthals have significantly smaller adjusted endocranial capacities than contemporary AMHs. We discuss possible implications of differing brain organization in terms of social cognition, and consider these in the context of differing abilities to cope with fluctuating resources and cultural maintenance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eiluned Pearce
- Department of Experimental Psychology, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3UD, UK.
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Ong BB, Lee N, Lee WP, Pearce E, Sivaprasad S, Klaver CC, Smith RT, Chong NV. Optimisation of an automated drusen-quantifying software for the analysis of drusen distribution in patients with age-related macular degeneration. Eye (Lond) 2013; 27:554-60. [PMID: 23306729 DOI: 10.1038/eye.2012.292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of this study is to optimise the settings of the Retinal Image Analysis Laboratory (RIALAB), a semi-automatic drusen quantification software, in planning for high-throughput quantification of drusen in clinical studies of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). PATIENTS AND METHODS A comparison of five different settings in RIALAB was made on 67 images from the Rotterdam eye study (population-based study) and 56 images from the fellow eye of patients with active neovascular AMD in King's College Hospital, London (hospital-based study). RESULTS The 'Few Outer' setting was the best setting, with it being most appropriate for 52 (77.6%) of the Rotterdam cohort and 47 (83.9%) for the London cohort. Pearson's χ(2)-test revealed both results to be statistically significant (P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS RIALAB is a viable algorithm and software package that can detect, quantify, and analyse drusen efficiently in both population-based and hospital-based studies. We have shown that the 'Few Outer' drusen setting can be employed as the default setting, with fine-tuning only needed in a minority of cases, thus helping to speed up workflow.
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Affiliation(s)
- B B Ong
- Oxford Eye Hospital and the University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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Dunbar RIM, Baron R, Frangou A, Pearce E, van Leeuwen EJC, Stow J, Partridge G, MacDonald I, Barra V, van Vugt M. Social laughter is correlated with an elevated pain threshold. Proc Biol Sci 2012; 279:1161-7. [PMID: 21920973 PMCID: PMC3267132 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2011.1373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2011] [Accepted: 08/26/2011] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Although laughter forms an important part of human non-verbal communication, it has received rather less attention than it deserves in both the experimental and the observational literatures. Relaxed social (Duchenne) laughter is associated with feelings of wellbeing and heightened affect, a proximate explanation for which might be the release of endorphins. We tested this hypothesis in a series of six experimental studies in both the laboratory (watching videos) and naturalistic contexts (watching stage performances), using change in pain threshold as an assay for endorphin release. The results show that pain thresholds are significantly higher after laughter than in the control condition. This pain-tolerance effect is due to laughter itself and not simply due to a change in positive affect. We suggest that laughter, through an endorphin-mediated opiate effect, may play a crucial role in social bonding.
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Affiliation(s)
- R I M Dunbar
- British Academy Centenary Research Project, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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Grove M, Pearce E, Dunbar RIM. Fission-fusion and the evolution of hominin social systems. J Hum Evol 2011; 62:191-200. [PMID: 22197359 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2011.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2010] [Revised: 10/08/2011] [Accepted: 10/12/2011] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
The course of hominin evolution has involved successive migrations towards higher absolute latitudes over the past three million years. Poorer habitat quality further from the equator has led to the necessity for groups occupying higher latitudes to live at lower population densities. Coupled with a trend towards increasing group size over this time period, this tendency towards expansion has led to exponential increases in the area requirements of hominin groups, and a concomitant need to adjust foraging patterns. The current analyses suggest that the development of increasingly complex, multi-level fission-fusion social systems could have freed hominins of the foraging constraints imposed by large group sizes and low population densities. Analyses of the fossil record suggest latitudinally-driven differences in area requirements of the australopithecines from East and South Africa, and African and Asian Homo erectus. In contrast, chronologically-driven differences appear between H. erectus as a whole and Homo heidelbergensis, and between H. heidelbergensis and the Neanderthals. These results are discussed in relation to studies of the foraging patterns of primates and hunter-gatherers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matt Grove
- School of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology, University of Liverpool, William Hartley Building, Brownlow Street, Liverpool L69 3GS, UK.
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Rowlands DS, Pearce E, Aboud A, Gillen JB, Gibala MJ, Donato S, Waddington JM, Green JG, Tarnopolsky MA. Oxidative stress, inflammation, and muscle soreness in an 894-km relay trail run. Eur J Appl Physiol 2011; 112:1839-48. [PMID: 21922261 DOI: 10.1007/s00421-011-2163-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2011] [Accepted: 09/02/2011] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
We describe the effects of multi-day relay trail running on muscle soreness and damage, and systemic immune, inflammatory, and oxidative responses. 16 male and 4 female athletes ran 894 km in 47 stages over 95 h, with mean (SD) 6.4 (1.0) stages per athlete and 19.0 (1.7) km per stage. We observed post-pre run increases in serum creatine kinase (qualified effect size extremely large, p = 0.002), IL-6 (extremely large, p < 0.001), urinary 8-isoprostane/creatinine (extremely large, p = 0.04), TNF-α (large, p = 0.002), leukocyte count (very large, p < 0.0001) and neutrophil fraction (very large, p < 0.001); and reductions in hemoglobin (moderate, p < 0.001), hematocrit (moderate, p < 0.001), and lymphocyte fraction (trivial, p < 0.001). An increase in ORAC total antioxidant capacity (TAC, small, p = 0.3) and decrease in urinary 8-OHdG/creatinine (small, p = 0.1) were not statistically significant. During the run, muscle soreness was most frequent in the quadriceps. The threshold for muscle pain (pain-pressure algometry) in the vastus lateralis and gastrocnemius was lower post-run (small, p = 0.04 and 0.03). Average running speed was correlated with algometer pain and leukocyte count (large, r = 0.52), and TAC was correlated with IL-6 (very large, r = 0.76) and 8-isoprostane/creatinine (very large, r = -0.72). Multi-day stage-racing increases inflammation, lipid peroxidation, muscle damage and soreness without oxidative DNA damage. High TAC is associated with reduced exercise-induced lipid peroxidation, but is not related to immune response or muscle damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- David S Rowlands
- School of Sport and Exercise, Massey University, Pvt Box 756, Wellington 6021, New Zealand.
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Abstract
Ambient light levels influence visual system size in birds and primates. Here, we argue that the same is true for humans. Light levels, in terms of both the amount of light hitting the Earth's surface and day length, decrease with increasing latitude. We demonstrate a significant positive relationship between absolute latitude and human orbital volume, an index of eyeball size. Owing to tight scaling between visual system components, this will translate into enlarged visual cortices at higher latitudes. We also show that visual acuity measured under full-daylight conditions is constant across latitudes, indicating that selection for larger visual systems has mitigated the effect of reduced ambient light levels. This provides, to our knowledge, the first support that light levels drive intraspecific variation in visual system size in the human population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eiluned Pearce
- Institute of Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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Sivaprasad S, Patra S, DaCosta J, Adewoyin T, Shona O, Pearce E, Chong NV. A pilot study on the combination treatment of reduced-fluence photodynamic therapy, intravitreal ranibizumab, intravitreal dexamethasone and oral minocycline for neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Ophthalmologica 2011; 225:200-6. [PMID: 21293163 DOI: 10.1159/000322363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2010] [Accepted: 10/15/2010] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
AIM To assess the safety and efficacy of the combined treatment of reduced-fluence verteporfin photodynamic therapy (PDT), intravitreal ranibizumab, intravitreal dexamethasone and oral minocycline for choroidal neovascularisa- tion (CNV) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). METHODS Nineteen patients with subfoveal CNV secondary to AMD were recruited into the trial. All study eyes (n = 19) received a single cycle of reduced-fluence (25 mJ/cm(2)) PDT with verteporfin followed by an intravitreal injection of ranibizumab 0.3 mg/0.05 ml and dexamethasone 200 μg at baseline. Oral minocycline 100 mg daily was started the following day and continued for 3 months. Patients were followed up monthly for 12 months. Repeat intravitreal ranibizumab was given if best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) deteriorated by >5 letters on the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) chart or central retinal thickness (CRT) on ocular coherence tomography increased >100 μm. RESULTS Eighteen patients completed the 12-month study. Stable vision (loss of ≤15 ETDRS letters) was maintained in 89% eyes (16/18). The mean change in BCVA was -5.0 ± 10.5 ETDRS letters. The mean number of ranibizumab injections was 3.4 (range 2-6). The mean reduction in the CRT was 66.3 μm (±75). CONCLUSION This open-label clinical trial has demonstrated the safety in terms of adverse effects and maintenance of stable vision of combination treatment with verteporfin, ranibizumab, dexamethasone and minocycline in exudative AMD. However, the outcomes with reduced-fluence PDT combination therapy does not differ significantly with outcomes of clinical trials on combination treatment with standard dose PDT and intravitreal ranibizumab in neovascular AMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Sivaprasad
- Laser and Retinal Research Unit, King's College Hospital, London, UK.
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Pearce E, Sivaprasad S, Chong NV. Comparing fixation location and stability in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration treated with or without Ranibizumab. Eye (Lond) 2010; 25:149-53. [PMID: 21102492 DOI: 10.1038/eye.2010.167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To compare fixation location and stability in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) treated with or without ranibizumab. METHODS Patients were recruited from the Macular Clinic of the King's College Hospital in London. Two groups of patients with neovascular AMD with at least 12 months of follow-up were included in the study. The treated group was treated with ranibizumab while the untreated group did not have any treatment. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) with modified ETDRS chart, fixation location and stability as measured with Nidek MP1, central retinal thickness as measured by Zeiss Cirrus SD-optical coherent tomography (OCT), and lesion size as measured by Topcon TRC-50IX camera were analysed and correlated. RESULTS In total, 102 eyes were included in the study with 76 in the ranibizumab-treated group and 26 in the untreated group. There were no significantly demographic differences between the two groups. However, as expected, the treated group has significantly better vision (48.5 vs 15.5 letters, P < 0.0001) and smaller lesions (10.8 vs 18.3 mm(2), P = 0.004), the central macular thickness as measured by OCT also showed a trend of normalised macular thickness (252 vs 282 microns, P = 0.07). The location of fixation was significantly more central in the ranibizumab-treated group (χ(2) 17.9, P < 0.0001) with over 50% of eyes with predominantly central fixation. Majority (84.6%) of the patients in the untreated group had predominantly eccentric fixation. Fixation stability was significantly better in the ranibizumab-treated group as compared with the untreated group, using both the software provided by the MP1 machine (χ(2) 21.8, P < 0.0001) and the mean log bivariate contour ellipse area calculated from the raw data obtained from the machine (3.64 vs 4.39 in treated and untreated group respectively, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION Low vision rehabilitation strategy for this group of patients in the ranibizumab era will be very different from those used in untreated patients with dense central scotoma. Further studies on the visual rehabilitation in the ranibizumab-treated patients should consider fixation characteristics of the patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Pearce
- Laser and Retinal Research Unit, King's College Hospital, University of London, London, UK
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Teich R, Blümer N, Patrascan C, Heine H, Holst O, Garn H, Renz H, Debarry J, Hanuszkiewicz A, Stein K, Mages J, Lang R, Sabri A, Braren I, Mempel M, Bredehorst R, Ollert M, Spillner E, Rasche C, Wolfram C, Zuberbier T, Worm M, Röschmann K, Ulmer A, Petersen A, Goldmann T, Schramm G, Mohrs K, Wodrich M, Doenhoff M, Pearce E, Haas H, Mohrs M, Darcan Y, Meinicke H, Fels G, Hegend O, Henke W, Hamelmann E, Blume C, Förster S, Gilles S, Becker W, Ring J, Behrendt H, Traidl-Hoffmann C, Edele F, Molenaar R, Reinhold C, Gütle D, Dudda J, Homey B, Mebius R, Hornef M, Martin S, Albrecht M, Suezer Y, Staib C, Sutter G, Vieths S, Reese G, Sudowe S, Zindler E, Gehrke N, Reuter S, Neufurth M, Finotto S, Taube C, Reske-Kunz A, Meyer HA, Krokowski M, Heidt C. Experimentelle Allergologie/Immunologie. Allergo J 2007. [DOI: 10.1007/bf03370607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Schober W, Hueltner L, Behrendt H, Buters J, Grimm K, Gilles S, Ring J, Brockow K, Traidl-Hoffmann C, Mewes A, Schramm G, Blindow S, Weimer T, Gronow A, Wodrich M, Lindner B, Gibbs B, Haas H, Mohrs K, Doenhoff M, Pearce E, Mohrs M, Doner F, Heib V, Becker M, Taube C, Schild H, Schmitt E, Stassen M, Grotha S, Hartmann K, Dudeck A, Maurer M, Warger T, Rechtsteiner G, Gerbaulet A, Scholten J, Krieg T, Roers A, Ruëff F, Schüpf P, Przybilla B. Mastzellen. Allergo J 2007. [DOI: 10.1007/bf03370555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Pearce E, Tregouet D, Samnergard A, Morgan A, Cox C, Hamsten A, Eriksson P, Ye S. We-W35:6 Matrix metalloproteinase-1 gene haplotype influences risk of myocardial infarction. ATHEROSCLEROSIS SUPP 2006. [DOI: 10.1016/s1567-5688(06)81266-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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