Regular social contacts with close ones

Longitudinal associations between specific types/amounts social contact and cognitive function among middle-aged and elderly Chinese: A causal inference and longitudinal targeted maximum likelihood estimation analysis.

Type of study: non-rct observational study

Number of citations: 3

Year: 2023

Authors: Yemian Li, Yuhui Yang, Peng Zhao, Jingxian Wang, B. Mi, Yaling Zhao, L. Pei, Hong Yan, Fangyao Chen

Journal: Journal of affective disorders

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Social contact, particularly '1-3 times a week,' is associated with better cognitive function in middle-aged and elderly Chinese, leading to less cognitive decline in later life.

Contact frequency and cognitive health among older adults in Israel

Type of study: non-rct observational study

Number of citations: 31

Year: 2019

Authors: E. Schwartz, Rabia Khalaila, H. Litwin

Journal: Aging & Mental Health

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Frequent contact with a close social network improves cognitive health in older adults, both directly and by reducing depressive symptoms.

Abstract: ABSTRACT Objectives: The current study set out to examine the links between contact frequency with one's social network and cognitive health in later life. It assessed both direct and indirect pathways and the possible role of ethnicity in the effect of the social network on cognitive function. Method: We used data from adults aged 50 and above, which was collected in Israel as part of the Survey of Ageing, Retirement and Health (SHARE). A moderated mediation analysis was conducted to test the direct and indirect associations between contact frequency and cognitive function, as well as the moderation of these associations by population group. Three population groups were examined – veteran-Jews, Arabs and immigrants from the former Soviet Union. Results: Contact frequency with the close social milieu was found to be directly positively related to cognitive function. The association was also mediated by depressive symptoms, such that frequent contacts were linked to cognitive health via reduced depressive symptoms. This indirect link differed, however, among the three population groups. Conclusion: Contact frequency is important for cognitive health in the second half of life, and it operates both directly and by decreasing depressive symptoms. However, these links are not found among all ethnic groups and may, therefore, depend on the culture and social norms of each group and the meaning attributed to social ties.

SOCIAL CONTACT AND COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING IN OLDER ADULTS LIVING IN THE COMMUNITY

Type of study: non-rct observational study

Number of citations: 0

Year: 2017

Authors: D. Chon, Y. Lee, J. Kim, Kang Young Lee

Journal: Innovation in Aging

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Frequent social contact is associated with higher levels of cognitive functioning in older adults, particularly among those at risk of dementia.

Abstract: Korea is one of the countries showing the fastest growth in the population of elders, with a rapid increase in the number of people with dementia. Social contact has been identified as a potential moderator of cognitive decline associated with aging. This study examined the relationship between social contact and cognitive functioning using a national survey of older adults. Data obtained from 3721 participants 65 years and older from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA) (2012–2014) were analyzed. Social contact was scored by the frequency of meeting close acquaintances and cognitive function was measured by a Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE-K). Multiple linear regression was used to compare social contact in 2012 with the MMSE-K score in 2014, adjusting for covariates. Participants with higher frequency of social contacts were more likely to have higher MMSE-K score in the overall population (B = .138, p < .0001). The magnitude of the association was stronger among those at risk of dementia (B = .307, p < .0001), compared with those who were cognitively normal (B = .082, p = .014). This study demonstrated that frequent social contact was associated with higher levels of cognitive functioning in later life. Further studies are warranted to investigate whether social relationships buffer against cognitive decline.

Bridging skin, brain, and behavior to understand pleasurable social touch

Type of study:

Number of citations: 28

Year: 2022

Authors: Leah J. Elias, Ishmail Abdus-Saboor

Journal: Current Opinion in Neurobiology

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Understanding the neurobiology of social touch may reveal therapeutic targets for treating anxiety, depression, and social disorders.

Social synchronization of brain activity increases during eye-contact

Type of study: non-rct observational study

Number of citations: 26

Year: 2022

Authors: C. Luft, Ioanna Zioga, A. Giannopoulos, G. Di Bona, N. Binetti, Andrea Civilini, V. Latora, I. Mareschal

Journal: Communications Biology

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Eye-contact increases higher inter- and intra-brain synchronization, with friends showing higher synchronization than strangers, and is an inherently social signal.

On the relationship between the social brain, social connectedness, and wellbeing

Type of study: literature review

Number of citations: 14

Year: 2023

Authors: M. J. Kim, Sunhae Sul

Journal: Frontiers in Psychiatry

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Social connectedness positively or negatively impacts wellbeing, and this relationship is modulated by brain activity in the subcortical reward system and medial prefrontal cortex.

Abstract: The emergence of social neuroscience in the past two decades has offered a useful neurocognitive framework for understanding human social behavior. Of importance, social neuroscience research aimed to provide mechanistic explanations for the established link between wellbeing and social behavioral phenomena–particularly those reflective of social connectedness. Here, we provide an overview of the relevant literature focusing on recent work using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). In general, fMRI research demonstrated that aspects of social connectedness that are known to either positively (e.g., social acceptance) or negatively (e.g., social isolation) impact wellbeing also modulated the activity of subcortical reward system accordingly. Similar modulatory influence was found for the activity of other brain regions such as the medial prefrontal cortex, which are typically regarded as components of the “social brain” that support a wide range of functions related to social cognition and behavior. Elucidating such individual differences in brain activity may shed light onto the neural underpinnings of the link between social connectedness and wellbeing.

FC56: Positive and negative social connections and brain health in the UK Biobank data

Type of study:

Number of citations: 0

Year: 2024

Authors: Suraj Samtani, Gowsalya Mahalingam, W. Wen, H. Brodaty, Perminder S. Sachdev

Journal: International Psychogeriatrics

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Living with more people and addressing loneliness can promote healthy brain aging.

Abstract: Background: Social connections are important for brain health. We explored the associations between positive and negative social connections and the rate of decline in brain health with ageing. Methods: We analysed UK Biobank data from 5704 adults aged 40+ (Wave 1 Mage = 54.12, 51.19% female) with brain scans at waves 2 and 3. Predictor variables were positive (current household size, visits to friends/family, community engagement, having a confidante) and negative (loneliness, violence in romantic relationships, or belittling in romantic relationships) social connections at baseline. Outcome variables were brain volumes (total grey & white matter, hippocampus, amygdala) and white matter health (DDF- white matter integrity, white matter hyperintensities, PSMD- a marker of microstructural white matter changes) at waves 2 and 3. We ran linear mixed models controlling for age, sex, intracranial volumes (for brain volume analyses), physical activity, depression, alcohol use, smoking, education, pollution, hearing loss, BMI andhypertension. Results: Having a greater household size was associated with a slower rate of decline in volumes of total white matter (3160.08, 95% CI: 418.75, 5888.47), right amygdala (43.18, 95% CI: 14.70, 71.02), left hippocampus (62.96, 95% CI: 18.20, 108.04), and right hippocampus (61.02, 95% CI: 15.39, 108.36), and white matter integrity/DDF (0.0014, 95% CI: 0.00047, 0.0022). Loneliness was associated with a slower rate of decline in the left amygdala (81.48, 95% CI: 19.59, 145.91). Conclusions: In a large UK based sample, we found that living with more people was associated with slower decline in white matter volumes and integrity, and hippocampal volumes. Living with others may promote brain reserve and memory function. Loneliness was associated with slower decline in the left amygdala volume, which is associated with processing of aversive and fearful stimuli. This echoes previous findings indicating that people with depression and anxiety may experience less shrinkage in the amygdala. Our results highlight the importance of encouraging people to live with others, such as in intergenerational households. We also need to address loneliness at a population level to promote healthy brain ageing.

10,000 social brains: Sex differentiation in human brain anatomy

Type of study: non-rct observational study

Number of citations: 73

Year: 2020

Authors: Hannah Kiesow, Robin I. M. Dunbar, J. Kable, T. Kalenscher, K. Vogeley, L. Schilbach, A. Marquand, Thomas V. Wiecki, D. Bzdok

Journal: Science Advances

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Sex-specific brain volume effects in the limbic system are linked to the frequency and intensity of social contact, influencing the processing hierarchy of neural networks.

Abstract: Population variability in social lifestyle is reflected in brain morphology in sex-dependent ways. In human and nonhuman primates, sex differences typically explain much interindividual variability. Male and female behaviors may have played unique roles in the likely coevolution of increasing brain volume and more complex social dynamics. To explore possible divergence in social brain morphology between men and women living in different social environments, we applied probabilistic generative modeling to ~10,000 UK Biobank participants. We observed strong volume effects especially in the limbic system but also in regions of the sensory, intermediate, and higher association networks. Sex-specific brain volume effects in the limbic system were linked to the frequency and intensity of social contact, such as indexed by loneliness, household size, and social support. Across the processing hierarchy of neural networks, different conditions for social interplay may resonate in and be influenced by brain anatomy in sex-dependent ways.

Association Between Frequency of Social Contact and Brain Atrophy in Community-Dwelling Older People Without Dementia

Type of study: non-rct observational study

Number of citations: 6

Year: 2023

Authors: Naoki Hirabayashi, Takanori Honda, J. Hata, Y. Furuta, Mao Shibata, T. Ohara, Y. Tatewaki, Yasuyuki Taki, S. Nakaji, T. Maeda, K. Ono, Masaru Mimura, Kenji Nakashima, Jun-ichi Iga, M. Takebayashi, T. Ninomiya

Journal: Neurology

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Low frequency of social contact is associated with decreased brain volume and cognitive function-related regional brain volumes, partially mediated by depressive symptoms in community-dwelling older people without dementia in Japan.

Abstract: Background and Objectives Epidemiologic evidence has shown that social isolation, a low frequency of social contact with others, is associated with the risk of dementia and late-life depressive symptoms. Therefore, we hypothesized that low frequency of social contact may be involved in brain atrophy, and depressive symptoms may play some role in this relationship. We aimed to evaluate the association between low frequency of social contact and the volumes of various brain regions and to assess the extent to which depressive symptoms mediate these relationships from a large population-based multisite cohort study. Methods Dementia-free community-dwelling Japanese aged 65 years or older underwent brain MRI scans and a comprehensive health examination. Frequency of contact with noncohabiting relatives and friends was determined by asking a single question with 4 categories: everyday, several times a week, several times a month, and seldom. Total and regional brain volumes, intracranial volume (ICV), and white matter lesion volume were estimated using FreeSurfer software. The associations between frequency of social contact and brain volumes per ICV were examined using analyses of covariance. Mediation analyses were conducted to calculate the proportion of the associations explained by depressive symptoms. Results We included 8,896 participants. The multivariable-adjusted mean of the total brain volume in the group with the lowest frequency of social contact was significantly lower compared with that in the group with the highest frequency of social contact (67.3% vs 67.8%), with a significant increasing trend across the groups (p value for trend <0.001). The white matter lesion volume increased significantly with lower frequency of social contact (0.30% in the lowest frequency group vs 0.26% in the highest frequency group, p value for trend <0.001). Lower frequency of social contact was associated with smaller volumes in the temporal lobe, occipital lobe, cingulum, hippocampus, and amygdala (all q values of false discovery rate correction <0.05). The relationships seemed to be partly mediated by depressive symptoms, which accounted for 15%–29% of the observed associations. Discussion Lower frequency of social contact was associated with decreased total and cognitive function–related regional brain volumes. In addition, depressive symptoms partially explained the association in community-dwelling older people without dementia in Japan.

Associations of positive and negative social connections with brain health in UK Biobank data

Type of study:

Number of citations: 0

Year: 2024

Authors: Suraj Samtani, Gowsalya Mahalingam, Wei Wen, H. Brodaty, P.S. Sachdev

Journal: Alzheimer's & Dementia

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Positive and negative social connections are associated with better and worse brain health, respectively, as seen in UK Biobank data.

Abstract: Social connections are linked to brain health. Studies to date have ignored negative social connections and the association between social connections and white matter health. We explored the relationship between positive and negative social connections and brain imaging including white matter health. We hypothesized that positive and negative social connections would be related to better and worse brain health, respectively.

Relationship status and perceived support in the social regulation of neural responses to threat

Type of study: non-rct observational study

Number of citations: 77

Year: 2017

Authors: J. Coan, L. Beckes, Marlen Z. Gonzalez, Erin L. Maresh, Casey L. Brown, Karen Hasselmo

Journal: Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Handholding by familiar relational partners reduces subjective distress and neural responses to threat, with perceived social support potentially enhancing this effect.

Abstract: Abstract Strong social ties correspond with better health and well being, but the neural mechanisms linking social contact to health remain speculative. This study extends work on the social regulation of brain activity by supportive handholding in 110 participants (51 female) of diverse racial and socioeconomic origins. In addition to main effects of social regulation by handholding, we assessed the moderating effects of both perceived social support and relationship status (married, cohabiting, dating or platonic friends). Results suggest that, under threat of shock, handholding by familiar relational partners attenuates both subjective distress and activity in a network associated with salience, vigilance and regulatory self-control. Moreover, greater perceived social support corresponded with less brain activity in an extended network associated with similar processes, but only during partner handholding. In contrast, we did not observe any regulatory effects of handholding by strangers, and relationship status did not moderate the regulatory effects of partner handholding. These findings suggest that contact with a familiar relational partner is likely to attenuate subjective distress and a variety of neural responses associated with the presence of threat. This effect is likely enhanced by an individual’s expectation of the availability of support from their wider social network.

The role of social interaction modality for well-being in older adults.

Type of study: non-rct observational study

Number of citations: 4

Year: 2024

Authors: Carlotta Grünjes, Birthe Macdonald, Gizem Hülür

Journal: Psychology and aging

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Frequent face-to-face, telephone, and text-based interactions contribute to well-being in older adults, with face-to-face interactions having the biggest effect and telephone and text-based interactions playing a compensatory role.

Abstract: It is well-established that more frequent social interaction is associated with higher well-being across the lifespan. The present study examines the role of frequency of interactions via different modalities on older adults' weekly well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic, where people had to adapt their communication behavior and reduce in-person contact due to precautionary measures. We use data from 98 participants (age: M = 71, SD = 5), who documented their weekly frequency of communication via four interaction modalities as well as their loneliness, positive affect, and negative affect over up to 64 weeks. Results show that participants with overall higher frequency of face-to-face, telephone, and text-based interaction than others report higher levels of positive affect and lower levels of negative affect and loneliness than others. Participants report higher levels of well-being during weeks when they report more frequent face-to-face, telephone, and text-based interaction than their individual average. Unexpectedly, participants report higher levels of negative affect during weeks with more video call interaction. Some effects of social interaction frequency on affect and loneliness are higher for face-to-face interactions versus other modalities. In addition, interaction effects at within-person level indicate that the effects of weekly telephone and text-based interaction frequency on loneliness are stronger in weeks with relatively few face-to-face interactions. Taken together, our findings suggest that social interactions via different modalities contribute to well-being, but that face-to-face interactions have the biggest effect. In addition, there is some evidence that telephone and text-based interaction may play a compensatory role. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Getting Together: Social Contact Frequency Across the Life Span

Type of study: non-rct observational study

Number of citations: 59

Year: 2017

Authors: J. Sander, J. Schupp, D. Richter

Journal: Developmental Psychology

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: In-person contact with family members remains stable across the life span, while nonfamily social contact declines and drops below family visits in mid-30s, with relationship status and gender slightly influencing these trajectories.

Abstract: Frequent social interactions are strongly linked to positive affect, longevity, and good health. Although there has been extensive research on changes in the size of social networks over time, little attention has been given to the development of contact frequency across the life span. In this cohort-sequential longitudinal study, we examined intraindividual changes in the frequency of social contact with family and nonfamily members, and potential moderators of these changes. The data come from the 1998, 2003, 2008, and 2013 waves of the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) study (N = 36,716; age range: 17–85 years). Using latent growth curve analysis, we found that the frequency of in-person contact with family members remained relatively stable across the life span. In contrast, the frequency of visits to and from nonfamily members (neighbors, friends, and acquaintances) declined following a cubic trajectory and dropped below the frequency of family visits when respondents were in their mid-30s. Relationship status and gender had a slight effect on both of these relationship trajectories. Subjective current health status and employment status influenced the life span trajectory of nonfamily social contact only. Changes of residence and the birth of a child, both of which constitute major turning points in the life course, did not affect the life span trajectory of either family or nonfamily in-person contact. The findings are discussed here in the context of earlier findings and in relation to socioemotional selectivity and social convoy theory and the evolutionary life history approach.

Benefits of Social Contact in Individuals With Psychotic Symptoms: Do Closeness of the Contact and Empathic Skills Make the Difference?

Type of study: non-rct observational study

Number of citations: 9

Year: 2021

Authors: L. Krijnen, Imke L. J. Lemmers-Jansen, A. Fett, L. Krabbendam

Journal: Frontiers in Psychology

Journal ranking: Q2

Key takeaways: Social contact, especially with close others, is crucial for mental health, with empathy enhancing the beneficial effects of close contact on mental health.

Abstract: Objectives: Social contact is known to be beneficial for humans’ mental health. Individuals with psychotic symptoms (PS) tend to show poorer social and interpersonal functioning. However, in this patient population, social contact may be crucial for their mental wellbeing and treatment success. Additionally, closeness of social contact (familiar versus less familiar others), rather than only the presence or absence of social contacts, may play an important role. Empathy may heighten the beneficial effects of social/close contact on mental health, facilitating interactions. We investigated the association between social contact and closeness of contact on mental health, defined as positive symptoms, positive affect and negative affect in PS and control participants, with empathy as a moderator. Methods: Participants were 16–30 years old. Information regarding social/close contact and mental health was obtained using the experience sampling method in individuals with PS (n = 29) and healthy controls (n = 28). Empathy was measured using a self-report questionnaire. Results: Social contact was associated with higher positive affect in the total sample. Contact with close as opposed to less close others was related to better mental health: It was associated with lower positive symptoms in the PS group, and with more positive affect in the total sample. Empathy moderated the association between closeness of contact and positive affect in the total sample, in which the combination of higher levels of empathy combined with the presence of close contact was associated with higher positive affect in the total sample. However, the direct association between empathy and positive affect was not significant per group of contact. Conclusion: The results suggest that social contact, but especially contact with a close other is important for mental health outcomes: Contact with close others is beneficial for positive affect in the total sample and for positive symptoms in individuals with PS.

Enduring Bonds: Duration and Contact in Close Relationships in Late Life.

Type of study: non-rct observational study

Number of citations: 2

Year: 2023

Authors: K. Fingerman, Zexi Zhou, M. Huo, G. Luong, Kira S Birditt

Journal: The Gerontologist

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Frequent contact with long-duration social partners is associated with positive mood in older adults, while long-duration ties with infrequent contact may exacerbate effects of interpersonal stress on mood.

Abstract: BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Older adults maintain ties to long-duration social partners, some with whom have regular contact, and some with whom have little contact. We asked whether these ties with little contact still offer a sense of connection and security, and buffer effects of interpersonal stress in daily life. Helping older adults foster these ties may improve their mental health. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Participants (n = 313) aged 65+ completed a baseline interview reporting duration and contact frequency of their closest ties. Then, participants completed ecological momentary assessments every 3 hours for 5 to 6 days, reporting their social encounters and mood. RESULTS We classified ties according to duration (10+ years = long- vs. shorter-duration) and frequency of contact (at least once a month = active vs. dormant). Throughout the day, participants were more likely to have stressful encounters with long-duration active ties. Encounters with active ties were associated with more positive mood (regardless of duration) and encounters with long-duration dormant ties with more negative mood. Having more active ties buffered effects of interpersonal stress on mood but more long-duration dormant ties exacerbated these effects. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS Supporting social integration theory, ties with frequent contact were associated with positive mood. Surprisingly, long-duration ties with infrequent contact exacerbated effects of interpersonal stress on mood. Older adults who lack contact with long duration social partners may be more sensitive to interpersonal stress. Future interventions might focus on phone or electronic media to increase contact with long-duration social partners.

Examining Social Touch in Early-Life Stress

Type of study:

Number of citations: 0

Year: 2024

Authors: Lena Lim

Journal: BJPsych Open

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Early-life interpersonal stress from caregivers may influence touch processing and pleasantness, particularly for females, and needs further exploration of different touch giver roles.

Abstract: Aims Social contact is crucial for both immediate and later development of adaptive social and emotional behaviour. Tactile experiences during childhood influence the development of the social brain and frequent affectionate touch is associated with secure attachment style. Social touch is an important form of social interaction and plays a significant role in the formation and maintenance of relationships in humans across development, where the hedonic properties of touch are involved in improving the quality of life. However, relatively less research attention has focused on social touch experiences in individuals with a history of early-life interpersonal stress, particularly childhood maltreatment. Methods Social touch pleasantness ratings using a newly developed Social Touch task and attitudes about a variety of social touch behaviours using the Social Touch Questionnaire (STQ) were examined in 40 age- and gender-matched young adults (23 childhood maltreatment, 17 controls). Results The childhood maltreatment group had significantly lower STQ score than the control group, where lower STQ score was furthermore correlated with higher severity of maltreatment, particularly physical neglect. For the social touch task, females who experienced childhood maltreatment had significantly lower mean pleasantness ratings for positive social touch than their male counterparts, and these differences were mainly in response to touch given by stranger and friend of opposite gender. Conclusion These preliminary results show that early-life interpersonal stress from caregivers may potentially influence touch processing and pleasantness, particularly for females, and there is a need to further explore the effects of different touch giver role (e.g. friend, stranger, partner).

The Effects of Social Feedback Through the “Like” Feature on Brain Activity: A Systematic Review

Type of study: systematic review

Number of citations: 0

Year: 2025

Authors: A. Dores, Miguel Peixoto, Carina Fernandes, António Marques, Fernando Barbosa

Journal: Healthcare

Journal ranking: brak

Key takeaways: Positive social feedback activates reward-processing brain areas, while negative feedback activates areas related to negative emotions.

Abstract: Background: Problematic social media (SM) use is a growing concern, particularly among adolescents who are drawn to these platforms for social interactions important to their age group. SM dependence is characterized by excessive, uncontrolled usage that impairs personal, social, and professional aspects. Despite the ongoing debate over recognizing SM addiction as a distinct diagnostic category, the impact of social feedback, particularly through the “like” button, on brain activity remains under scrutiny. Objective: This systematic review aims to study the neural correlates of online social feedback, focusing on the effects of the “like” feedback on brain activity using fMRI and EEG. Methods: The review followed the recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA). Results: The review included 11 studies with 504 participants, identifying key brain structures such as the amygdala, ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), and ventral striatum involved in reward processing. Positive feedback (“likes”) activates areas like the nucleus accumbens (NACC), vmPFC, and amygdala, with NACC correlating with increased SM use intensity. Negative feedback activates the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC) and left medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Behavioral data indicates that positive feedback influences subsequent social interactions. Conclusions: The review highlights disparities in the literature regarding the neural response to social feedback, emphasizing the need for further research to clarify the roles of sex, personality traits, and the person giving feedback. Overall, understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of SM engagement is essential for developing effective interventions to prevent or address the negative effects of excessive SM use.

The influence of social contact on risk of dementia

Type of study: meta-analysis

Number of citations: 0

Year: 2019

Authors: A. Sommerlad

Journal:

Journal ranking: brak

Key takeaways: Frequent social contact is likely associated with lower risk of dementia, potentially due to building greater cognitive reserve and delaying dementia onset.

Abstract: Background: There is need for identification of modifiable risk factors for dementia as intervention targets. Social network contact may reduce dementia risk through building cognitive reserve, but previous observational study findings are susceptible to reverse causation bias due to short follow-up. Aim: To examine the influence of social contact on incident dementia. Methods: I conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the association of marital status, used as a proxy measure for cumulative lifetime social contact, and dementia. I next examined the accuracy of English routinely-collected hospital data on dementia diagnosis to establish the validity of using these records to ascertain dementia status. I then used the Whitehall II prospective cohort study to examine the association of social contact frequency and incident dementia, ascertained from routinely-collected databases. Results: The pooled relative risk of dementia for people who were single or widowed, compared to married, was 1.42 (1.07, 1.90) and 1.20 (1.02, 1.41) respectively, an association which persisted after adjustment for potential confounding variables. I found that routinely collected hospital data included, during 2.5 mean years of follow-up, records of dementia for 78% of people with “gold-standard” dementia diagnosis; diagnostic recording was less likely for single people than married (odds ratio = 0.81 (0.67, 0.99). I found that more frequent social contact at age 60 years was associated with lower risk of dementia (hazard ratio = 0.88 (0.79, 0.98)) but risk for social contact at 50 or 70 years was similar but not significantly associated. More frequent social contact during mid-life was associated with higher baseline cognition, but not subsequent rate of cognitive decline. Conclusions: More frequent social contact is likely to be associated with lower risk of subsequent dementia. This may be because social contact builds greater cognitive reserve, thereby delaying dementia onset, or that social contact is a marker of those with higher cognitive reserve.

Dorsal Raphe Dopamine Neurons Represent the Experience of Social Isolation

Type of study:

Number of citations: 316

Year: 2016

Authors: G. Matthews, Edward H. Nieh, Caitlin M. Vander Weele, S. Halbert, Roma V. Pradhan, Ariella S. Yosafat, Gordon F. Glober, Ehsan M. Izadmehr, Rain E. Thomas, G. D. Lacy, Craig P. Wildes, M. Ungless, K. Tye

Journal: Cell

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Dorsal raphe dopamine neurons play a role in mediating loneliness and promoting rebound sociability after social isolation, with their activity influenced by social rank.

The Effect of Social Presence on Mentalizing Behavior

Type of study: non-rct experimental

Number of citations: 7

Year: 2022

Authors: Emma J. Morgan, D. Carroll, Constance K C Chow, M. Freeth

Journal: Cognitive Science

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Social presence significantly influences mentalizing behavior in adults, highlighting the importance of considering it in social cognition research.

Abstract: Abstract Our behavior is frequently influenced by those around us. However, the majority of social cognition research is conducted using socially isolated paradigms, without the presence of real people (i.e., without a “social presence”). The current study aimed to test the influence of social presence upon a measure of mentalizing behavior in adults. Study 1 used a first‐order theory of mind task; and study 2 used a second‐order theory of mind task. Both studies included two conditions: live, where the task protagonists were physically present acting out the task, or recorded, where the same task protagonists demonstrated the task in a video recording. In both experiments, participants were affected by the social presence and demonstrated significantly different patterns of behavior in response to the presence of real people. This study, therefore, highlights the critical importance of understanding the effect of a social presence in mentalizing research, and suggests that the inclusion of a social presence needs to be given strong consideration across social cognition paradigms.

Covariation of psychobiological stress regulation with valence and quantity of social interactions in everyday life: disentangling intra- and interindividual sources of variation

Type of study: non-rct observational study

Number of citations: 5

Year: 2021

Authors: M. Stoffel, Elvira Abbruzzese, Stefanie Rahn, Ulrike Bossmann, M. Moessner, B. Ditzen

Journal: Journal of Neural Transmission

Journal ranking: Q2

Key takeaways: Increasing the quantity and quality of social interactions in everyday life can potentially reduce psychobiological stress and prevent its consequences.

Abstract: Abstract While the overall effects of social relationships on stress and health have extensively been described, it remains unclear how the experience of social interactions covaries with the activity of psychobiological stress in everyday life. We hypothesized that the valence as well as quantitative characteristics of social interactions in everyday life would attenuate psychobiological stress. Sixty healthy participants provided data for the analyses. Using an ecological momentary assessment design, participants received 6 prompts on their smartphone for 4 days. At each prompt, they reported on social interactions since the last prompt ( any occurrence , frequency , duration , quality , and perceived social support ), current subjective stress, and provided one saliva sample for the analyses of cortisol (sCort) and alpha-amylase (sAA). Experiencing any contact within days as well as higher daily levels of contact quality and perceived social support were associated with reduced levels of sCort. Furthermore, on a daily level, experiencing at least one contact in-between prompts more often as well as having more contacts on average attenuated the sAA output. Perceived social support and contact quality as well as higher daily contact durations were associated with lower subjective stress. For sCort, daily levels of stress moderated the effects of experiencing any contact within days while daily perceived social support moderated the effects of subjective stress. For sAA, experiencing at least one contact in-between prompts more often on a daily level moderated the effects of subjective stress. There were no between-person effects throughout all analyses. The results show ecologically valid evidence for direct attenuating effects of social interactions on psychobiological stress as well as for the stress-buffering hypothesis in everyday life. Increasing the quantity and improving the valence of social interactions on an intrapersonal level can possibly reduce psychobiological stress and prevent its consequences.

FACE-TO-FACE AND FACEBOOK ACROSS THE LIFESPAN: SOCIAL INTERACTIONS BUFFER STRESS ON MOOD, BUT ONLY FOR ADOLESCENTS

Type of study: non-rct observational study

Number of citations: 0

Year: 2019

Authors: Yin Liu, E. Fauth, M. Maxey, T. Beckert

Journal: Innovation in Aging

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: High levels of recent social contact, particularly social media, can buffer stress on mood for adolescents, while older adults experience worse mood when avoiding an argument.

Abstract: Abstract Social support serves as a protective factor, buffering stress in both adolescents and adults, however Socioemotional Selectivity Theory suggests developmental differences in stress reactivity and social support. It is unclear how modern forms of social contact, such as social media buffer stress, and the extent to which this differs across the lifespan. We utilized ecological momentary data to examine the moderating effects of age and two distinct types of social contacts the person had experienced in prior hours (frequency of face-to-face, or social media contacts) on the association between daily stress and momentary mood. Participants were recruited initially through Amazon.com’s Mechanical Turk (adolescents referred by a parent). A total of 119 adolescent (n = 44; Agemean= 15.73) and middle-aged/older adult participants (n = 75; Agemean= 59.67) provided momentary data three times a day, on three consecutive days, every two weeks, for up to 12 weeks. Multi-level models showed significant 3-way interactions between stress appraisal of avoiding an argument, age group, and frequency of social contact via face-to-face (β = 1.698, se = 0.542, p = .002) and social media (β = 3.341, se = 0.984, p = .001). Older adults experienced better mood than adolescents. When avoiding an argument was appraised as more stressful, both age groups displayed worse mood. Whereas high levels of recent social contact (both face-to-face and social media) seemed to exacerbate the impact of this stressor on poorer mood for older persons, high levels of recent social contact, particularly social media, had stress-buffering benefits for adolescents.

Perceived Social Support and Stress: a Study of 1st Year Students in Ireland

Type of study: non-rct observational study

Number of citations: 84

Year: 2022

Authors: L. McLean, David Gaul, Rebecca J Penco

Journal: International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Higher levels of social support are associated with lower stress levels in first-year university students, with females reporting higher levels of support and stress than males.

Abstract: Social support is consistently associated with positive outcomes for students, in terms of wellbeing and academic achievement. For first year students, social support offers a way to deal with stressors associated with the challenge of transitioning to university. The current research was conducted with a range of first year students (n = 315) early in their first semester in university. Both male and female students reported moderate levels of social support and perceived stress, while those with higher levels of social support reported lower levels of stress. Gender differences were apparent in both the levels and sources of social support that students perceived as available to them. Female students reported higher levels of social support and stress than males, suggesting that university initiatives for enhancing social support and dealing with stress may require a gender-specific focus. The results are discussed in terms of recommendations for developing students’ social supports during first year, in order to mitigate for the experience of stress and to enhance student experience of their educational journey.

Positive social interaction offsets impact of low socioeconomic status on stress.

Type of study: non-rct observational study

Number of citations: 26

Year: 2017

Authors: Eva N. Woodward, J. L. Walsh, T. Senn, M. Carey

Journal: Journal of the National Medical Association

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Positive social interaction is particularly important for reducing stress among individuals with low socioeconomic status, highlighting the need for interventions to improve health in this population.

Social Rhythm and Mental Health: A Cross-Cultural Comparison

Type of study: non-rct observational study

Number of citations: 88

Year: 2016

Authors: J. Margraf, Kristen L Lavallee, XiaoChi Zhang, S. Schneider

Journal: PLoS ONE

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Social rhythm regularity is linked to better mental health, while irregularity is associated with increased health problems, depression, anxiety, and stress in all three countries studied.

Abstract: Background Social rhythm refers to the regularity with which one engages in social activities throughout the week, and has established links with bipolar disorder, as well as some links with depression and anxiety. The aim of the present study is to examine social rhythm and its relationship to various aspects of health, including physical health, negative mental health, and positive mental health. Method Questionnaire data were obtained from a large-scale multi-national sample of 8095 representative participants from the U.S., Russia, and Germany. Results Results indicated that social rhythm irregularity is related to increased reporting of health problems, depression, anxiety, and stress. In contrast, greater regularity is related to better overall health state, life satisfaction, and positive mental health. The effects are generally small in size, but hold even when controlling for gender, marital status, education, income, country, and social support. Further, social rhythm means differ across Russia, the U.S., and Germany. Relationships with mental health are present in all three countries, but differ in magnitude. Conclusions Social rhythm irregularity is related to mental health in Russia, the U.S., and Germany.

Stress and the social brain: behavioural effects and neurobiological mechanisms

Type of study:

Number of citations: 513

Year: 2015

Authors: C. Sandi, J. Haller

Journal: Nature Reviews Neuroscience

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Stress leads to structural, functional, and molecular changes in the brain, affecting social behavior and predisposition to antisocial behaviors.

The stress-buffering effect of self-disclosure on Facebook: An examination of stressful life events, social support, and mental health among college students

Type of study: non-rct observational study

Number of citations: 261

Year: 2017

Authors: Renwen Zhang

Journal: Comput. Hum. Behav.

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Self-disclosure on Facebook can buffer the negative impact of stressful life events on mental health among college students, leading to increased social support, life satisfaction, and reduced depression.

IMPACT OF SOCIAL CONTACT AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ON DAILY EMOTION OF KOREAN URBAN OLDER ADULTS

Type of study: non-rct observational study

Number of citations: 0

Year: 2018

Authors: G. Han, H. Choi

Journal: Innovation in Aging

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Social contacts with children and friends positively impact daily emotions, while sedentary time lowers positive emotions in Korean urban older adults.

Abstract: In the notion of the activity theory of aging, this study investigated the impact of social contacts on daily emotions of Korean urban older adults. We also explored the relationship between the intensity of physical activities and daily emotional experiences. For these purposes, data was collected by multi-method approach. To answer the first question, the level of positive and negative emotions and the types of people older adults meet each day were collected for a week using daily-diary method(n=178). For the second purpose, number of steps and the intensity of the physical activities were collected for a week from 20 subsamples using activity monitors. Hierarchical linear modeling was used for the analysis. Results show that social contacts affect daily emotions but the impact differs by the people whom older adults meet. Contacts both with children and with friends elevate positive emotions, but for negative emotion, contact with children only shows lowering effect. And the impact of social contacts with children and neighbors are greater for those who live alone than their counterparts. In terms of physical activity, it is shown that longer sedentary time lowers the level of positive emotions Findings partially support activity theory, but it reveals that the impact of social contacts and physical activity is differed by whom they meet and the intensity of the physical activities. Noteworthy finding is that interaction with children is very important factor explaining the intra-individual changes of daily emotions for Korean urban older adults

Acute social and physical stress interact to influence social behavior: The role of social anxiety

Type of study: rct

Number of citations: 59

Year: 2018

Authors: Bernadette von Dawans, Amalie Trueg, C. Kirschbaum, U. Fischbacher, M. Heinrichs

Journal: PLoS ONE

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Social and physical stress interact to influence social behavior, with social stress alone reducing nonsocial risk behavior and social anxiety increasing subjective stress responses.

Abstract: Stress is proven to have detrimental effects on physical and mental health. Due to different tasks and study designs, the direct consequences of acute stress have been found to be wide-reaching: while some studies report prosocial effects, others report increases in antisocial behavior, still others report no effect. To control for specific effects of different stressors and to consider the role of social anxiety in stress-related social behavior, we investigated the effects of social versus physical stress on behavior in male participants possessing different levels of social anxiety. In a randomized, controlled two by two design we investigated the impact of social and physical stress on behavior in healthy young men. We found significant influences on various subjective increases in stress by physical and social stress, but no interaction effect. Cortisol was significantly increased by physical stress, and the heart rate was modulated by physical and social stress as well as their combination. Social anxiety modulated the subjective stress response but not the cortisol or heart rate response. With respect to behavior, our results show that social and physical stress interacted to modulate trust, trustworthiness, and sharing. While social stress and physical stress alone reduced prosocial behavior, a combination of the two stressor modalities could restore prosociality. Social stress alone reduced nonsocial risk behavior regardless of physical stress. Social anxiety was associated with higher subjective stress responses and higher levels of trust. As a consequence, future studies will need to investigate further various stressors and clarify their effects on social behavior in health and social anxiety disorders.

Influence of Regular Physical Activity and Fitness on Stress Reactivity as Measured with the Trier Social Stress Test Protocol: A Systematic Review

Type of study: systematic review

Number of citations: 138

Year: 2018

Authors: M. Mücke, S. Ludyga, F. Colledge, M. Gerber

Journal: Sports Medicine

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Higher physical activity and fitness levels are associated with an attenuated response to psychosocial stress, potentially contributing to reduced stress-related risk factors.

Abstract: BackgroundPsychosocial stress is associated with multiple health complaints. Research to date suggests that regular physical activity (PA) and higher cardiorespiratory fitness may reduce stress reactivity and therefore contribute to a reduction of stress-related risk factors. While previous reviews have not differentiated between stressors, we focus on psychosocial stress elicited with the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST).ObjectiveOur objective was to examine the effect of regular PA and cardiorespiratory fitness on stress reactivity, with a particular focus on the TSST. The TSST is the laboratory task most widely used to induce socio-evaluative stress and elicits stronger stress reactions than most other cognitive stressor tasks.MethodsA systematic search within various databases was performed in January 2018. The following outcomes were considered: cortisol, heart rate, psychological stress reactivity, and potential moderators (age, sex, exercise intensity, assessment mode, and psychological constructs).ResultsIn total, 14 eligible studies were identified. Cortisol and heart rate reactivity were attenuated by higher PA or better fitness in seven of twelve studies and four of nine studies, respectively. Two of four studies reported smaller increases in anxiety and smaller decreases in calmness in physically active/fitter participants. Three of four studies found that higher PA/fitness was associated with more favorable mood in response to the TSST.ConclusionAbout half of the studies suggested that higher PA/fitness levels were associated with an attenuated response to psychosocial stress. Currently, most evidence is based on cross-sectional analyses. Therefore, a great need for further studies with longitudinal or experimental designs exists.

Daily Stress and Affect Across Adulthood: The Role of Social Interactions via Different Communication Modes.

Type of study: non-rct observational study

Number of citations: 13

Year: 2021

Authors: X. Lin, M. Lachman

Journal: Technology, mind, and behavior

Journal ranking: brak

Key takeaways: Frequent text messaging is associated with increased stress and negative affect, while in-person communication boosts positive emotions, while internet communication has no effect on daily well-being.

Abstract: Communication with one's social network can take place in-person or using technology. Past studies have mainly focused on the effects of communication modality (in-person, telephone calling, text messaging, and internet) on stress and affect at a between-person level by exploring the individual differences. Yet few studies have compared such effects at a within-person level, that is, how an individual varies over time. We conducted a diary study over seven days for 145 participants (ages 22 to 94) mostly from the greater Boston area to test the role each communication mode played in daily stress exposure, stress reactivity, and positive and negative affect using within-person analyses. Multilevel modeling results revealed that days with more frequent text messaging were associated with greater stress exposure and negative affect. Days with more in-person communication were associated with more positive affect. Days with more telephone calls were associated with less negative affect. Internet communication was not associated with stress or affect at a within-person level. To address the directionality of our findings, we also conducted lagged analyses that suggested higher previous day frequency of text messaging was related to higher stress exposure on the subsequent day. In addition, higher previous stress exposure was related to less telephone calling on the subsequent day. Implications and future research are discussed with a focus on how social interactions via different communication modes with one's social network can make a difference for daily well-being.

The relationship between daily stress, social support and Facebook Addiction Disorder

Type of study: non-rct observational study

Number of citations: 123

Year: 2019

Authors: J. Brailovskaia, Elke Rohmann, H. Bierhoff, Holger Schillack, J. Margraf

Journal: Psychiatry Research

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Daily stress increases Facebook use intensity and addiction risk, with high online social support potentially increasing the risk for Facebook Addiction Disorder.

Stress and Its Impact on Social Media Usage

Type of study: rct

Number of citations: 3

Year: 2019

Authors: Bryan Denq, Wenchen Denq, Wenchin Hsu

Journal: Journal of Technical Writing and Communication

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Stress increases social media usage, with seeking social support contributing to increased usage and habitual behavior evoking greater frequency and strength.

Abstract: This study examined the relationship between stress and social media usage, whether stress was an indicator of social media use, and tested moderators of the relationship between stress and social media use. Participants (n = 201) were randomly assigned to a stress-inducing recall activity or a control task via an online survey. Next, they completed measures of stress, social media usage, social support, and habitual behavior. We found that seeking social support contributed to an increased usage of social media. In addition, increased usage of social media was related to greater frequency and strength of evoking habitual behavior.

The impact of daily stress on adolescents' depressed mood: The role of social support seeking through Facebook

Type of study:

Number of citations: 205

Year: 2015

Authors: Eline Frison, S. Eggermont

Journal: Comput. Hum. Behav.

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Daily stress increases adolescents' social support seeking through Facebook, which can either decrease their depressed mood or exacerbate it, depending on the perceived social support.

The type of stress matters: repeated injection and permanent social isolation stress in male mice have a differential effect on anxiety- and depressive-like behaviours, and associated biological alterations

Type of study: non-rct experimental

Number of citations: 79

Year: 2020

Authors: A. Du Preez, T. Law, D. Onorato, Y. Lim, P. Eiben, K. Musaelyan, M. Egeland, A. Hye, P. Zunszain, S. Thuret, C. Pariante, C. Fernandes

Journal: Translational Psychiatry

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Different forms of chronic stress, such as repeated injections and permanent social isolation, have distinct effects on anxiety, depression, and biological changes in male mice, with no additive impact when combined.

The effects of acute stress and stress hormones on social cognition and behavior: Current state of research and future directions

Type of study:

Number of citations: 62

Year: 2020

Authors: Bernadette von Dawans, Julia Strojny, G. Domes

Journal: Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Acute stress and stress hormones can negatively impact social cognition and behavior, with future research focusing on understanding the complex interplay of psychological and biological stress variables.

Is More Always Better? Examining the Nonlinear Association of Social Contact Frequency With Physical Health and Longevity

Type of study:

Number of citations: 22

Year: 2020

Authors: O. Stavrova, Dongning Ren

Journal: Social Psychological and Personality Science

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Optimal social contact frequency is moderate (monthly or weekly), beyond which it is no longer associated with better health and longevity, and may even increase mortality risks.

Abstract: Frequent social contact has been associated with better health and longer life. It remains unclear though whether there is an optimal contact frequency, beyond which contact is no longer positively associated with health and longevity. The present research explored this question by examining nonlinear associations of social contact frequency with health and longevity. Study 1 (N ∼ 350,000) demonstrated that once the frequency of social contact reached a moderate level (monthly or weekly), its positive association with health flattened out. Study 2 (N ∼ 50,000) extended these findings to longitudinal and mortality data: Although low contact frequency was associated with poor health and low survival rates, increasing the frequency of social interactions beyond a moderate level (monthly or weekly) was no longer associated with better health and longevity and, in some cases, was even related to worse health and increased mortality risks.

A Comprehensive Evaluation of the Impact of Social Media on Mental Health Reveals Noteworthy Effects

Type of study: literature review

Number of citations: 1

Year: 2023

Authors: Tarik Ikbal

Journal: Praxis International Journal of Social Science and Literature

Journal ranking: brak

Key takeaways: Frequent social media use is linked to increased anxiety, stress, depression, and loneliness, highlighting the need for responsible usage and awareness.

Abstract: This review explores the impact of social media on mental health, focusing on anxiety, stress, depression, and loneliness. The analysis of extensive research highlights the potential negative effects of social media use on mental well-being. Key findings suggest that frequent social media use is associated with increased anxiety levels due to social comparison, fear of missing out (FOMO), cyberbullying, and information overload. Social media use is also linked to higher levels of stress, with factors such as maintaining a certain image and constant engagement contributing to psychological burden. Excessive use of social media platforms, especially Facebook, is associated with depressive symptoms and poorer mental health outcomes. Furthermore, social media use can paradoxically contribute to loneliness, as superficial online interactions may not provide the same depth and fulfillment as offline connections. The complex relationship between social media and mental health calls for individuals to be mindful of their usage and develop strategies to mitigate potential negative effects. Further research, interventions, and awareness about responsible social media use are necessary to promote positive mental health outcomes.

Sleep and social relationships in healthy populations: A systematic review.

Type of study: systematic review

Number of citations: 81

Year: 2021

Authors: Amie M. Gordon, Belinda Carrillo, Christopher M. Barnes

Journal: Sleep medicine reviews

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Quality and presence of social relationships influence how we sleep, and sleep influences our social bonds, but most research is correlational, limiting conclusions about the directionality of these effects.

Social Relationships and Sleep Quality

Type of study: non-rct observational study

Number of citations: 110

Year: 2015

Authors: Robert G. Kent, Bert N. Uchino, Matthew R. Cribbet, Kimberly S. Bowen, Timothy W. Smith

Journal: Annals of Behavioral Medicine

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Supportive social relationships improve sleep quality, while aversive relationships worsen it, with depression acting as a mediator between relationship quality and sleep quality.

Abstract: The quality of social relationships and social support appears to be associated with physical health outcomes and sleep quality. Almost all previous research in this area focuses on positive aspects of relationships.The present study thus intended to examine the links between supportive, aversive, ambivalent, and indifferent network ties and sleep quality.Relationship data, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)-assessed sleep quality, and depression were examined in 175 middle-aged and older adults.Consistent with hypotheses, supportive ties were positively related to sleep quality, while aversive ties predicted worse sleep quality, associations that were primarily seen for close relationships. Ambivalent and indifferent ties were not significant predictors of sleep quality. Importantly, depression was found to mediate the link between relationship quality and sleep quality.These data suggest the more specific types of social relationships that may be linked to poor sleep quality and that depression appears to underlie these associations.

A narrative review of research linking non‐sexual social touch to sleep quality

Type of study: literature review

Number of citations: 4

Year: 2024

Authors: Yuxi Xie, Brooke C Feeney

Journal: Journal of Sleep Research

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Non-sexual social touch, such as affectionate touch and tactile contact with animals, is associated with better sleep quality.

Abstract: This narrative review describes the current state of the literature that has examined associations between non‐sexual social touch (i.e., affectionate touch, touch therapies, touch with animals and inanimate objects that mimic social touch) and sleep quality. It also highlights areas for future research to clarify the links and to identify underlying mechanisms. Most existing studies have focussed on and shown positive effects of touch therapies (e.g., massage, therapeutic touch) on sleep quality in clinical populations. Although there are fewer studies examining how other forms of social touch are linked with sleep quality, the existing research provides preliminary evidence supporting affectionate touch (e.g., hugging, skin‐to‐skin contact) and tactile contact with animals (e.g., dogs) and objects that mimic social touch (e.g., robots, weighted blankets) as predictors of better sleep quality, while touch deprivation and touch aversion are associated with worse sleep quality. Informed by the existing literature, we additionally reviewed potential relational‐cognitive (e.g., felt‐security) and neurobiological (e.g., oxytocin) mechanisms likely to underlie associations between social touch and sleep quality. Overall, current research supports associations between non‐sexual social touch and sleep quality. However, future research is needed to establish these links for specific forms of social touch (and in various populations), to test explanatory mechanisms, and to identify boundary conditions. Understanding associations between non‐sexual social touch and sleep quality can inform the development of touch‐based interventions to improve sleep quality and health.

The impact of social networks on sleep among a cohort of college students

Type of study: non-rct observational study

Number of citations: 10

Year: 2021

Authors: Cheng Wang, Stephen M. Mattingly, Jessica D. Payne, Omar Alcides Lizardo, David S. Hachen

Journal: SSM - Population Health

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Increasing social network size is associated with less sleep and a student's sleep levels are influenced by peers, suggesting interventions aimed at improving sleep practices could benefit from leveraging student networks.

Daily Social Contact in Relation to Sleep: The Role of Age

Type of study: non-rct observational study

Number of citations: 8

Year: 2016

Authors: C. Tighe, Natalie D. Dautovich, C. McCrae

Journal: Behavioral Sleep Medicine

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Social contact during daily activities is important for sleep, particularly in older adults who may experience more aloneness due to life events.

Abstract: Objectives. To examine how social contact during daily activities differs by age and relates to sleep outcomes. Methods. Fifty younger and 48 older , community-dwelling adults completed the Social Rhythm Metric-17 and daily sleep diary online for 14 days. Results. Younger adults completed a greater proportion of activities with active others than older adults. Age significantly interacted with the proportion of activities completed alone, . Alone activities negatively predicted total sleep time in older, not younger adults. Discussion. Social contact, or lack thereof, is important for sleep, particularly for older adults who may be more prone to aloneness due to life course events.

Social Media Use, Social Media Stress, and Sleep: Examining Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Relationships in Adolescents

Type of study: non-rct observational study

Number of citations: 102

Year: 2019

Authors: Winneke A van der Schuur, S. Baumgartner, S. Sumter

Journal: Health Communication

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Social media use and stress are positively related to sleep latency and daytime sleepiness in adolescents, but stress is a more significant predictor of these sleep issues than use itself.

Abstract: ABSTRACT There are concerns that social media (SM) use and SM stress may disrupt sleep. However, evidence on both the cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships is limited. Therefore, the main aim of this study is to address this gap in the literature by examining the cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships between SM use, SM stress, and sleep (i.e., sleep latency and daytime sleepiness) in adolescents. In total, 1,441 adolescents 11–15 years, 51% boys) filled out a survey in at least one of three waves that were three to four months apart (NWave1 = 1,241; NWave2 = 1,216; NWave3 = 1,103). Cross-sectionally, we found that SM use and SM stress were positively related to sleep latency and daytime sleepiness. However, when examined together, SM use was not a significant predictor of sleep latency and daytime sleepiness above the effects of SM stress. The longitudinal findings showed that SM stress was positively related to subsequent sleep latency and daytime sleepiness, but only among girls. Our findings stress that it is important to focus on how adolescents perceive and cope with their SM use, instead of focusing on the mere frequency of SM use.

Effect of social media use on learning, social interactions, and sleep duration among university students

Type of study: non-rct observational study

Number of citations: 207

Year: 2021

Authors: Manjur S. Kolhar, R. N. Kazi, A. Alameen

Journal: Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Prolonged use of social media for nonacademic purposes can negatively impact academic performance, social interactions, and sleep duration among university students, leading to a sedentary lifestyle and physical inactivity.

Sleep bad, feel bad: Unpacking the role of exercise and socializing.

Type of study: non-rct observational study

Number of citations: 0

Year: 2024

Authors: Sihan Liu, Lin-Xin Wang, M. S. Chen, Huiting Cao, Tony J. Cunningham, J. Joormann

Journal: Behaviour research and therapy

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Higher sleep efficiency and difficulty falling asleep positively impact emotional well-being, with exercise and socializing playing distinct moderating roles.

The relationship between social media use and sleep quality among undergraduate students

Type of study: non-rct observational study

Number of citations: 87

Year: 2018

Authors: Renee Garett, Sam Liu, S. Young

Journal: Information, Communication & Society

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Increased late-night tweeting on weekdays is linked to lower sleep quality, while evening tweeting is associated with better sleep quality among college freshmen.

Abstract: ABSTRACT Insufficient sleep is a growing health problem among university students, especially for freshmen during their first quarter/semester of college. Little research has studied how social media technologies impact sleep quality among college students. This study aims to determine the relationship between social media use and sleep quality among freshman undergraduates during their first quarter in college. Specifically, we explored whether variations in Twitter use across the time of day and day of the week would be associated with self-reported sleep quality. We conducted a study of freshman Twitter-using students (N = 197) over their first quarter of college, between October and December of 2015. We collected students’ tweets, labeled the content of the tweets according to different emotional states, and gave theme weekly surveys on sleep quality. Tweeting more frequently on weekday late nights was associated with lower sleep quality (β = −0.937, SE = 0.352); tweeting more frequently on weekday evenings was associated with better quality sleep (β = 0.189, SE = 0.097). Tweets during the weekday that were labeled related to the emotion of fear were associated with lower sleep quality (β = −0.302, SE = 0.131). Results suggest that social media use is associated with sleep quality among students. Results provided can be used to inform future interventions to improve sleep quality among college students.

Interplay between social media use, sleep quality, and mental health in youth: A systematic review.

Type of study: systematic review

Number of citations: 249

Year: 2020

Authors: R. Alonzo, J. Hussain, S. Stranges, K. Anderson

Journal: Sleep medicine reviews

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Excessive social media use is linked to poor sleep quality and negative mental health in youth.

Sleepiness, sleep duration, and human social activity: An investigation into bidirectionality using longitudinal time-use data

Type of study: non-rct observational study

Number of citations: 42

Year: 2020

Authors: B. Holding, T. Sundelin, H. Schiller, T. Åkerstedt, G. Kecklund, John Axelsson

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Greater sleepiness leads to a 70% decrease in social contact, potentially leading to social withdrawal and loneliness, potentially impacting mental and physical health.

Abstract: Significance We observe that a change from very alert to very sleepy can decrease social contact by approximately 70%. We also reveal moderators of this effect, such as time of day. This finding provides a perspective on, and possible mechanism as to, why sleep disturbances and other causes of sleepiness (such as medicine side effects or shift work), are associated with poorer health outcomes. It is especially urgent to understand the causes of decreased social activity, as rates of social isolation and loneliness are reported to be rising, as are rates of sleep disturbance. The results provide directions for future research, for example regarding whether interventions to alleviate sleepiness can be an effective way to improve both short- and long-term well-being. Daytime sleepiness impairs cognitive ability, but recent evidence suggests it is also an important driver of human motivation and behavior. We aimed to investigate the relationship between sleepiness and a behavior strongly associated with better health: social activity. We additionally aimed to investigate whether a key driver of sleepiness, sleep duration, had a similar relationship with social activity. For these questions, we considered bidirectionality, time of day, and differences between workdays and days off. Over 3 wk, 641 working adults logged their behavior every 30 min, completed a sleepiness scale every 3 h, and filled a sleep diary every morning (rendering >292,000 activity and >70,000 sleepiness datapoints). Using generalized additive mixed-effect models, we analyzed potential nonlinear relationships between sleepiness/sleep duration and social activity. Greater sleepiness predicted a substantial decrease in the probability of social activity (odds ratio 95% CI = 0.34 to 0.35 for days off), as well as a decreased duration of such activity when it did occur. These associations appear especially robust on days off and in the evenings. Social duration moderated the typical time-of-day pattern of sleepiness, with, for example, extended evening socializing associated with lower sleepiness. Sleep duration did not robustly predict next-day social activity. However, extensive social activity (>5 h) predicted up to 30 min shorter subsequent sleep duration. These results indicate that sleepiness is a strong predictor of voluntary decreases in social contact. It is possible that bouts of sleepiness lead to social withdrawal and loneliness, both risk factors for mental and physical ill health.

Associations of Social Media Use With Physical Activity and Sleep Adequacy Among Adolescents: Cross-Sectional Survey

Type of study: non-rct observational study

Number of citations: 100

Year: 2019

Authors: Sandhya V. Shimoga, Erlyana Erlyana, Vida Rebello

Journal: Journal of Medical Internet Research

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Frequent social media use is associated with increased physical activity and lower sleep adequacy in adolescents, with a medium intensity of use being beneficial for moderate health behaviors.

Abstract: Background Adolescents’ use of social media, which has increased considerably in the past decade, has both positive and negative influences on adolescents’ health and health behaviors. As social media is the most prominent communication tool of choice for adolescents, it is important to understand the relationship between the frequency of social media use and health behaviors among this population. Objective The objective of our study was to examine the associations between the frequency of social media use and physical activity and sleep adequacy among middle and high school students. Methods We used data from the Monitoring the Future survey (2014 and 2015), a nationally representative, annual, cross-sectional survey of American 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-grade students (N=43,994). Health behaviors examined were frequency of vigorous physical activity and frequency of getting 7 hours of sleep (never/seldom, sometimes, and every day/nearly every day). We measured frequency of social media use using a Likert-like scale (never, a few times a year, 1-2 times a month, once a week, or every day). Multivariable generalized ordered logistic regressions examined the association of social media use with different levels of physical activity and sleep. We estimated marginal effects (MEs) for the main independent variable (social media use frequency) by holding all other variables at their observed values. Results The study population comprised 51.13% (21,276/42,067) female students, 37.48% (17,160/43,994) from the South, and 80.07% (34,953/43,994) from a metropolitan area, with 76.90% (33,831/43,994) reporting using social media every day. Among physically active students, frequent social media use was associated with a higher likelihood of vigorous daily exercise (ME 50.1%, 95% CI 49.2%-51.0%). Among sedentary students, frequent social media use was associated with a lower likelihood of vigorous daily exercise (ME 15.8%, 95% CI 15.1%-16.4%). Moderately active students who used social media once or twice a month had the highest likelihood of reporting vigorous daily exercise (ME 42.0%, 95% CI 37.6%-46.3%). Among those who normally got adequate sleep, daily social media users were least likely to report adequate sleep (ME 41.3%, 95% CI 40.4%-42.1%). Among those who were usually sleep deprived, daily social media users were more likely to report adequate sleep (ME 18.3%, 95% CI 17.6%-19.0%). Conclusions Regular social media use every day was associated with a reinforcement of health behaviors at both extremes of health behaviors, whereas a medium intensity of social media use was associated with the highest levels of physical activity and lowest sleep adequacy among those with moderate health behaviors. Hence, finding an optimal level of social media use that is beneficial to a variety of health behaviors would be most beneficial to adolescents who are in the middle of the health behavior spectrum.

Social media use, mental health and sleep: A systematic review with meta-analyses.

Type of study: meta-analysis

Number of citations: 16

Year: 2024

Authors: Oli Ahmed, Erin Walsh, A. Dawel, Khawlah Alateeq, D. Oyarce, Nicolas Cherbuin

Journal: Journal of affective disorders

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Social media use is positively associated with depression, anxiety, and sleep problems, while problematic social media use is positively associated with depression, anxiety, and sleep problems.

The Impact of Social Media Use on Sleep and Mental Health in Youth: a Scoping Review

Type of study: literature review

Number of citations: 14

Year: 2024

Authors: Danny J Yu, Y. Wing, Tim M H Li, N. Chan

Journal: Current Psychiatry Reports

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Social media use negatively impacts sleep and mental health in youth, with potential benefits during COVID, but more research is needed to establish directionality and causality.

Abstract: Abstract Purpose of Review Social media use (SMU) and other internet-based technologies are ubiquitous in today’s interconnected society, with young people being among the commonest users. Previous literature tends to support that SMU is associated with poor sleep and mental health issues in youth, despite some conflicting findings. In this scoping review, we summarized relevant studies published within the past 3 years, highlighted the impacts of SMU on sleep and mental health in youth, while also examined the possible underlying mechanisms involved. Future direction and intervention on rational use of SMU was discussed. Recent Findings Both cross-sectional and longitudinal cohort studies demonstrated the negative impacts of SMU on sleep and mental health, with preliminary evidence indicating potential benefits especially during the COVID period at which social restriction was common. However, the limited longitudinal research has hindered the establishment of directionality and causality in the association among SMU, sleep, and mental health. Summary Recent studies have made advances with a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of SMU on sleep and mental health in youth, which is of public health importance and will contribute to improving sleep and mental health outcomes while promoting rational and beneficial SMU. Future research should include the implementation of cohort studies with representative samples to investigate the directionality and causality of the complex relationships among SMU, sleep, and mental health; the use of validated questionnaires and objective measurements; and the design of randomized controlled interventional trials to reduce overall and problematic SMU that will ultimately enhance sleep and mental health outcomes in youth.

Sleep Restriction Reduces Positive Social Emotions and Desire to Connect with Others.

Type of study: rct

Number of citations: 12

Year: 2022

Authors: C. Palmer, N. John-Henderson, Hannah Bawden, Adrielle Massey, Suzanna L Powell, Ashleigh Hilton, J. Carter

Journal: Sleep

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Sleep restriction reduces the desire to engage in social interactions and increases negative social emotions, but does not affect guilt or indebtedness.

Abstract: Feeling connected with others and experiencing positive interpersonal interactions is associated with physical health and psychological functioning. Despite the importance of social experiences, experimental studies investigating how sleep impacts social connections and positive social experiences are limited. The current study sought to examine how sleep loss impacted social motivation and emotions. Healthy emerging adults (N=53; 83% female, ages 18-28 years) were randomly assigned to one night of sleep restriction (4h time in bed) or typical sleep (8h time in bed). Following the experimental night, participants reported on their desire to pursue social connections, and completed a reflection task where they wrote about something generous someone did for them. After the reflection, participants reported on their positive and negative social emotions (gratitude, connectedness, guilt, indebtedness). Coding of the reflections was conducted to extract emotional tone and social words used. Sleep restricted participants reported reduced motivation to pursue social connections, and less gratitude and feelings of connectedness after the reflection compared to the control condition. Sleep restricted participants also used fewer socially-oriented words (i.e., words focused on other people) when reflecting on this interpersonal event. No differences emerged in guilt or indebtedness or emotional tone of the reflection. Findings suggest that sleep loss may decrease desire to engage in social interactions and reduces positive social emotions. These findings expand the limited body of research on sleep and social functioning by examining the impact of partial sleep restriction on social motivation, and on the experience of social emotions within a positive interpersonal context.

Regular sleep habits in toddlers are associated with social development and brain coherence.

Type of study: non-rct observational study

Number of citations: 0

Year: 2024

Authors: Yoshiko Iwatani, Kuriko Kagitani-Shimono, Azusa Ono, Tomoka Yamamoto, I. Mohri, Arika Yoshizaki, M. Taniike

Journal: Sleep medicine

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Regular sleep habits in toddlers are associated with improved social communication, preference for humans, and brain coherence.

782 Sleep restriction reduces feelings of interpersonal connectedness and social motivation

Type of study: rct

Number of citations: 0

Year: 2021

Authors: C. Palmer, Suzanna L Powell, N. John-Henderson, Dagny R. Deutchman, Rebecca Boylan

Journal: Sleep

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Sleep restriction reduces motivation to engage in social interactions and leads to feeling less connected with others after reflecting on positive social events.

Abstract: Feeling socially connected with others is essential for promoting and maintaining psychological health. Emerging research suggests that insufficient sleep may result in deleterious social outcomes such as greater reactivity to stressful social situations. However, little is known regarding how sleep may impact motivation to feel connected with others, and experiences of connectedness after positive social interactions. Healthy participants (N = 56; 83.9% female, ages 18–30) were randomly assigned to one night of sleep restriction (SR, 4 h) or a night of typical sleep (TS, 8 h) in a controlled laboratory setting and verified with actigraphy. All participants did not have any known or suspected sleep or psychiatric disorders, were free of medical conditions and current medication use known to impact sleep and/or psychological functioning, and wore an actigraph for one week prior to the experimental night to ensure adequate sleep duration. Following the experimental night, participants reported on their motivation for social connectedness (e.g., “Right now, I would like to be close with friends, family, and significant others.”), and completed a task where they spent 5 minutes writing about a positive interpersonal event. After the task, participants reported on their feelings of interpersonal connectedness. Qualitative text analysis was conducted to extract emotional tone and number of social words used during the task. Compared to TS, participants undergoing SR were less motivated to feel connected with others [t(54) = -2.62, p = .01], and reported feeling less social connectedness after the task [t(53) = -2.06, p = .04]. Text analysis revealed no differences in positive or negative emotional tone, but participants in the SR group used less social words when describing their positive interpersonal event [F(1, 53) = 6.65, p = .01], even after adjusting for differences in total number of words used. One night of sleep restriction reduces motivation to engage in social interactions, and also results in feeling less connected with others after reflecting on a positive social event. These findings add to a limited body of research on sleep and social experiences and provide further support for the negative psychological effects of sleep loss. Support (if any):

EXAMINING POSITIVE AFFECT IN THE ASSOCIATION OF SLEEP DISTURBANCE AND ABILITY TO PARTICIPATE IN SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

Type of study: non-rct observational study

Number of citations: 0

Year: 2018

Authors: C. Tighe, Natalie D. Dautovich, R. Allen

Journal: Innovation in Aging

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Higher levels of positive affect can buffer the negative association between sleep disturbance and social activity participation, with no significant age-related differences.

Abstract: Sleep disturbance is associated with limitations in social functioning. Positive affect plays a buffering role in the context of stress and psychosocial outcomes and may also serve this role in relation to sleep disturbance. Study objectives were to determine: 1) the moderating role of positive affect in the association of sleep disturbance and perceived ability to participate in social activities, and 2) whether this association is moderated by age. Study materials were completed online by 216 adults (20–80 years-old; M=44.9 years±15.6) at a single time-point. Sleep disturbance was measured using the PROMIS® 8-item Sleep Disturbance-Short Form, positive affect with the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, and ability to engage in social activities with the PROMIS® 4-item Ability to Participate in Social Roles and Activities-Short Form. PROCESS regression-based moderation analyses were used to test the study objectives. Adjusting for covariates, positive affect significantly moderated the negative association of sleep disturbance and social activity participation (Coefficient=.04, p=.02); at higher levels of sleep disturbance, social activity participation was less limited when positive affect was high. The sleep disturbance, positive affect, and age interaction was nonsignificant (p=.10). Individuals who had high levels of positive affect despite experiencing higher levels of sleep disturbance felt better able to engage socially. Though this association was not significantly moderated by age, a trend suggested that at younger ages and lower levels of sleep disturbance, higher levels of positive affect were associated with poorer social functioning. Future work should further explore socioemotional selectivity in the context of sleep.

Positive affect and sleep: A systematic review.

Type of study: systematic review

Number of citations: 138

Year: 2017

Authors: A. Ong, S. Kim, Sara B. Young, A. Steptoe

Journal: Sleep medicine reviews

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: Positive affect is associated with better sleep in healthy populations, but more rigorous research is needed to confirm its beneficial impact on sleep outcomes in clinical populations.

Associations between positive and negative social media experiences and sleep disturbance among young adults.

Type of study: non-rct observational study

Number of citations: 10

Year: 2020

Authors: D. Rzewnicki, A. Shensa, J. Levenson, B. Primack, J. Sidani

Journal: Sleep health

Journal ranking: Q1

Key takeaways: High levels of negative social media experiences are significantly associated with increased sleep disturbance in young adults, while high levels of positive experiences do not show a similar association.