Evoked Potentials ; Social Isolation ; Attention ; Humans

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the psychometric properties and applicability of the 6-item University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale (ULS-6) in adults. METHODS: We conducted 2 surveys to assess the validity of different measurement scales and questionnaires. In Survey 1, a total of 1480 adults were measured using the UCLA Loneliness Scale (ULS), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS), and the data were used for item analysis and assessment of the reliability, validity and measurement invariance. In Survey 2, UCLA Loneliness Scale was used for measurement in 652 college students, and the data were used for analysis of the criterion validity of ULS-6; 3 weeks later, 300 of the students were retested using ULS-6 to assess the retest reliability of the scale. RESULTS: Item analysis suggested that the items in ULS-6 all had good discrimination power with discrimination indexes all above 0.775 (r=0.775-0.820, P < 0.001). Measuring only one dimension, ULS-6 had an internal consistency reliability of 0.891, a split-half reliability of 0.875, and a retest reliability of 0.726. The correlation coefficients of ULS-6 with ULS, ULS-8, PHQ-9 and PSSS were 0.882, 0.967, 0.528 and -0.532, respectively. The measurement invariances of ULS-6 across genders and age groups were all acceptable. Among the adult participants, the mean total score of ULS-6 was 12.97 ± 3.96; While only 20% of the adults had no loneliness, 80% of them exhibited varying degrees of loneliness, ranging from mild (39.6%) and moderate (25.7%) to intense (14.7%) feelings of loneliness. CONCLUSION The ULS-6 has good reliability, validity and applicability for measurement of loneliness in Chinese adults.
Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Asian People ; Emotions ; Reproducibility of Results ; Students ; Loneliness

PURPOSE: As COVID-19 spreads globally and affects people's health, there are concerns that the pandemic and control policies may have psychological effects on young people (age from 17 to 35 years). This psychological impact might vary in different countries, and thus we compared the prevalence of self-reported psychological distress, loneliness and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) among young people in the United Kingdom (UK) and China at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Data of this study came from two sources. One source was the first wave of COVID-19 study in Understanding Society, a special wave of the UK household longitudinal study, which provided the high-quality, national-wide representative panel data. The sample comprised 1054 young people. The other source was an online survey on the mental health of 1003 young people from Shanghai, a highly developed area in China. The questionnaire included questions on the prevalence of common mental disorders (cut-off score ≥ 4), loneliness and potential PTSS (cut-off ≥ 33). Univariable analyses were conducted to test the differences in the self-reported prevalence of psychological distress and loneliness between the two groups. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were run to explore the predictors of psychological distress and loneliness among all the young people from England and Shanghai. RESULTS: Among the samples with self-reported psychological distress, the UK sample accounted for 34.4% (n=1054) and the Chinese sample accounted for 14.1% (n=1003). The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (p < 0.001). Additionally, 57.1% of people in the UK and 46.7% in China reported that they sometimes or often felt lonely, of which the difference is statistically significant (p < 0.001). Regression analysis of the entire samples showed that nationality, gender, psychotherapy and loneliness were significant predictors of 12-item General Health Questionnaire scores, while the variables of age and living alone were not. Significant predictors of self-reported loneliness were the nationality, gender, age, living alone and psychotherapy. In China, 123 (12.3%) young people, 49 men (11.3%) and 74 women (13.0%), met the criteria of PTSS symptoms (cut-off scores ≥ 33). These scores were only collected in China. CONCLUSION This evidence suggests that mental health and loneliness reported by young people were lower in China than that in the UK during the studied period. More research is needed to understand these differences. If the differential negative psychological impacts are confirmed, country-specific measures of prevention and intervention should be adopted to improve the mental health of young people under the ongoing impact of the pandemic.
Adult ; COVID-19/epidemiology* ; China/epidemiology* ; Female ; Humans ; Loneliness/psychology* ; Male ; Mental Health ; Prevalence ; Psychological Distress ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/epidemiology* ; United Kingdom/epidemiology* ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: Loneliness is a specific risk factor for depressive symptoms and suicidal behavior. The present study examined whether the serum oxytocin level would interact with social support and buffers loneliness and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis activity in drug-naïve patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). METHODS: Twenty-six patients with MDD (male:female = 3:23; mean age, 45.54 ± 12.97 years) were recruited. The 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, UCLA Loneliness Scale and self-reported Measurement of Support Function Questionnaire were administered. Serum oxytocin and cortisol levels were assessed using a commercial immunoassay kits. RESULTS: In MDD patients, a negative association was found between degrees of social support and loneliness (β = −0.39, p = 0.04). The interaction between social support and serum oxytocin level was negatively associated with loneliness (β = −0.50, p = 0.017) and serum cortisol level (β = −0.55, p = 0.020) after adjusting for age. Follow-up analyses showed that the association between higher social support and lower loneliness was observed only in the higher-oxytocin group (r = −0.75, p = 0.003) but not in the lower group (r = −0.19, p = 0.53). The significance remained after further adjusting for sex and depression severity. CONCLUSION: Low oxytocin level is a vulnerability factor for the buffering effect of social support for loneliness and aberrant HPA-axis activity in MDD patients.
Buffers ; Depression ; Depressive Disorder, Major ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Immunoassay ; Loneliness ; Oxytocin ; Risk Factors

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop and psychometrically test the Korean Geriatric Loneliness Scale (KGLS). METHODS: The initial items were based on in-depth interviews with 10 older adults. Psychometric testing was then conducted with 322 community-dwelling older adults aged 65 or older. Content, construct, and criterion-related validity, classification in cutoff point, internal consistency reliability, and test-retest reliability were used for the analysis. RESULTS: Exploratory factor analysis showed three factors, including 15 items explaining 91.6% of the total variance. The three distinct factors were loneliness associated with family relationships (34.3%), social loneliness (32.4%), and a lack of belonging (24.9%). As a result of confirmatory factor analysis, 14 items in the three-factor structure were validated. Receiver operating characteristic analysis demonstrated that the KGLS' cutoff point of 32 was associated with a sensitivity of 71.0%, specificity of 80.2%, and area under the curve of .83. Reliability, as verified by the test-retest intraclass correlation coefficient, was .89, and Cronbach's α was .90. CONCLUSION: As its validity and reliability have been verified through various methods, the KGLS can contribute to assessing loneliness in South Korean older adults.
Adult ; Classification ; Factor Analysis, Statistical ; Family Relations ; Humans ; Loneliness ; Psychometrics ; Reproducibility of Results ; ROC Curve ; Sensitivity and Specificity

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate differences between the elderly living alone and those living with others in frustrated interpersonal needs and life satisfaction. Also, we explore the effects of frustrated interpersonal needs on life satisfaction in the elderly living alone. METHODS: The participants include 572 elderly people aged over 60 in Busan, Korea. Life satisfaction were evaluated by the Life Satisfaction Self-Rating Scale (LSRS) and frustrated interpersonal needs were measured by the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire-Revised (INQ-R). RESULTS: The overall LSRS scores were significantly lower in the elderly living alone (106.2±20.1) than living with others (115.3±13.9, p<0.001). The total INQ-R score was significantly lower in the elderly living alone (73.8±12.1) than those living with others (76.9±12.0, p<0.05). As a result of multiple regression analysis, we came to know that frustrated interpersonal needs were factors affecting life satisfaction in living alone group. CONCLUSION: The results of present study suggest that the elderly living alone are more likely to have poor life satisfaction and frustrated interpersonal needs. Also, frustrated interpersonal needs are related to life satisfaction. Thus, it is necessary to establish the social support system such as social isolation prevention and interpersonal relationship development.
Aged ; Busan ; Humans ; Korea ; Social Isolation

In early 2018, the National Action Plan for Preventing Suicide was announced by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and related ministries. The Action Plan presents a realistic goal of reducing suicide mortality to two-thirds of the present level, which would make it 1.4 times higher than the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development average (in contrast to current circumstances, in which it is 2.4 times higher than the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development average). Several public and private organizations are engaged in various suicide prevention activities. However, it is crucial for a seamless network to be formed, including government organizations, medical institutions, private organizations, and religious organizations. In medical settings, it is imperative that clinicians assess patients' risk of depression or suicide and arrange for a referral service. We need to connect modern social trends with classical mental health treatment modalities by using technologies such as smartphones and the internet. Strategies for research and development and for actual implementation must be established. Suicide prevention requires the active cooperation of not only mental health professionals, but also all physicians and health professionals. Experts in philosophy, sociology, economics, religion, and anthropology must also collaborate to find ways of affirming the importance of human life.
Anthropology ; Depression ; Health Occupations ; Humans ; Internet ; Loneliness ; Mental Health ; Mortality ; Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development ; Philosophy ; Referral and Consultation ; Smartphone ; Sociology ; Suicide

social support on the relationship between loneliness and resilience for the elderly who are mentally sound, financially stable and living in a single household setting.METHODS: A sample of 197 mentally healthy (Mini-Mental State Examination for Dementia Screening ≥−1.5 standard deviation and Geriatric Depression Scale <10) community-dwelling elderly 65 years of age or older was recruited. Multidimensional individual and interpersonal resilience measure, Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey, and University of California, Los Angeles Loneliness Scale were used followed by structured face to face interviews. Descriptive statistics, t-test, analysis of variance, Pearson correlation, and stepwise regression analysis were used for data analysis.RESULTS: The mean score of Resilience was 70.7 (±11.7)/111, social support was 60.2 (±21.4)/95, and Loneliness was 38.5(±11.9)/80. For the Resilience, there was a statistically significant correlation between loneliness (r=0.56, p<0.01) and social support (r=0.72, p<0.01). Hierarchical analysis shows that social support completely mediates the effect of resilience on loneliness. Stepwise regression analysis represents affection emotional support and positive social interaction have the highest descriptive power.CONCLUSION: In conclusion, social support fully mediates the impact of resilience on loneliness. The findings suggest developing social support intervention programs, especially which can give emotional support and positive social interaction, is effective and crucial to decrease loneliness for elderly who are living alone.]]>
Aged ; California ; Dementia ; Depression ; Family Characteristics ; Humans ; Interpersonal Relations ; Loneliness ; Mass Screening ; Statistics as Topic

social isolation in an urban community in Seoul.METHODS: A total of 704 adults who is not relying on long term care services and with age over 65 years were recruited from an urban community in Seoul. Subjects were evaluated by Korean version of Geriatric Depression Scale, short form, Mini Mental Status Examination, in the Korean version of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease assessment battery, Korean version of Cut Down, Annoyed, Guilty and Eye Opener questionnaire, and Korean version of Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Inventory. Prevalence of depression and suicidal ideation, according to living-alone status were obtained, and risk factors affecting depression were evaluated.RESULTS: The prevalence for depressive disorder were 10.7% in overall, while prevalence for those not living alone 10.0% and for those living alone, 13.4%. From logistic regression models, the most important risk factor for depressive disorder was history of past mental health problems. Living alone failed to achieve significance as a risk factor of depressive disorder and social isolation predicted depressive disorder only when not accounting history of past mental health problems.CONCLUSION: Intrinsic personal vulnerability represented by history of past mental health problems were more important risk factor of depressive disorder than current social situations including living alone or social isolations.]]>
Adult ; Alzheimer Disease ; Depression ; Depressive Disorder ; Humans ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Long-Term Care ; Mental Health ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Seoul ; Social Isolation ; Suicidal Ideation

BACKGROUND: Korea's population is aging rapidly. Aged people who lead a solitary life are in a state of social isolation and face a greater risk of lower quality of life. The purpose of this study was to analyze the health behaviors and lifestyle patterns of aged people who lead a solitary life in Korea.METHODS: We analyzed 4,471 subjects (1,933 men and 2,538 women)-aged people aged 65 or above-based on data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey VI (2013–2015). The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression analysis adjusted with age, household income level, occupational status, and geographical region.RESULTS: Socioeconomic status was lower in aged people who lead a solitary life than in those living with family. The ORs for frequent eating out alone (OR=2.93; 95% CI 1.83–4.38), daily eating out alone (OR=2.40; 95% CI 1.25–4.60), smoking (OR=1.57; 95% CI 1.06–2.32), feeling sick or uncomfortable (OR=1.59; 95% CI 1.08–2.36), feeling depressed (OR=4.10; 95% CI 2.53–6.65), and suicide ideation (OR=2.06; 95% CI 1.21–3.51) were significantly higher in male subjects who lead a solitary life. The ORs for frequent eating out alone (OR=1.57; 95% CI 1.10–2.24) and inadequate sleep duration (OR=1.29; 95% CI 1.03–1.61) were significantly higher in female subjects who lead a solitary life.CONCLUSION: Aged people who lead a solitary life exhibited unhealthy behaviors and poor mental health. The elderly men who lead a solitary life faced higher risk of poor health than the women. Integrated management of lifestyle behaviors is required to improve the quality of health in aged people who lead a solitary life.
Aged ; Aging ; Eating ; Employment ; Family Characteristics ; Female ; Health Behavior ; Humans ; Korea ; Life Style ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Mental Health ; Nutrition Surveys ; Nutritional Status ; Odds Ratio ; Quality of Life ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Social Class ; Social Isolation ; Suicide