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CoDAS 2016To conduct a systematic review of the literature on the relationship between language development, social behavior, and family and school environments in children aged 4... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE
To conduct a systematic review of the literature on the relationship between language development, social behavior, and family and school environments in children aged 4 to 6 years.
RESEARCH STRATEGY
Papers published between March 2009 and March 2014 were searched in electronic databases. The first phase of the study consisted in preparing the guiding question. Subsequently, survey and selection of studies were conducted. To this end, descriptors were defined by groups of themes.
SELECTION CRITERIA
The following types of publications were included in the search: complete scientific articles available in full and freely and original research papers or literature reviews published in the past five years covering the 4 to 6-year age range.
DATA ANALYSIS
The analysis of the papers was conducted through critical reading and selection of the results that responded to the guiding question.
RESULTS
Fourteen articles were selected. Most of the studies used at least one standardized instrument. Research indicates that the family environment is related to language development, mainly regarding socioeconomic status and parental education; number of adults who live with the child; parental health; language motivation; and interaction between parents and children. Only one article showed association between quality of the school environment and language development, and none showed evidence of an association between social behavior and language development.
CONCLUSION
Most of the studies analyzed focus on the relationship between family environment and language development. Very few studies with this approach are available in the specific literature.
Topics: Child; Child Language; Child, Preschool; Family Relations; Humans; Language Development; Language Disorders; Social Behavior; Speech-Language Pathology
PubMed: 27652929
DOI: 10.1590/2317-1782/20162015193 -
PloS One 2017In older age health needs and demand for health services utilization increase. Individual's social relationships can play a decisive role regarding the utilization of... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
In older age health needs and demand for health services utilization increase. Individual's social relationships can play a decisive role regarding the utilization of outpatient health care services. This systematic review examines the associations of structural and functional dimensions of social relationships with outpatient health services use of older adults.
METHODS
The databases PubMed, CINAHL, SocINDEX, PsycINFO, International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (IBSS), Sociological Abstracts, and Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts (ASSIA) were searched in February 2016. The methodological and reporting quality of the articles was assessed and the results were synthesized descriptively and systematically.
RESULTS
Out of 1.392 hits, 36 articles (35 studies) were included in the systematic review. The methodological and reporting quality of the included articles was reasonable. Various structural and functional characteristics of social relationships were associated with the use (yes/no) and the frequency of using outpatient care among older adults. The majority of the associations between structural dimensions of social relationships and the use of physicians were positive and moderate in strength. The associations between functional dimensions of social relationships and the probability of using physician services were inconsistent and varied in strength. For the most part, social relationship variables assigned to the structural dimension were positively and weakly to moderately associated with the frequency of physician visits. Functional aspects of social relationships also tended to have positive associations with the frequency of physician utilization. The associations were weak to moderate in strength.
CONCLUSIONS
Measuring social relationships and their influence on health services use is a challenging methodological endeavor indicated by the inconclusive results. The results suggest that the outpatient care utilization behavior of older individuals being structurally and functionally integrated in social relationships is different to older adults being socially isolated or having no social support. All in all, the current status of quantitative data was insufficient. Future health services research should accentuate social ties in more detail, especially according to quality aspects of social relationships.
Topics: Aged; Health Services; Humans; Interpersonal Relations; Middle Aged; Physicians; Social Behavior
PubMed: 28957429
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0185672 -
Social Science & Medicine (1982) Sep 2021Over the past decade, women in Western countries have taken to various social media platforms to share their dissatisfactory experiences with hormonal contraception,... (Review)
Review
Over the past decade, women in Western countries have taken to various social media platforms to share their dissatisfactory experiences with hormonal contraception, which may be pills, patches, rings, injectables, implants or hormonal intrauterine devices (IUDs). These online testimonials have been denounced as spreading "hormonophobia", i.e. an excessive fear of hormones based on irrational causes such as an overestimation of health risks associated with their use, that was already aroused by the recurring media controversies over hormonal contraception. In order to move toward a reproductive justice framework, we propose to study the arguments that women and men (as partners of female users) recently put forward against hormonal contraception to see whether they are related to hormonophobia. The aim of this article is to conduct a systematic review of the recent scientific literature in order to construct an evidence-based typology of reasons for rejecting hormonal contraception, in a continuum perspective from complaints to choosing not to use it, cited by women and men in Western countries in a recent time. The published literature was systematically searched using PubMed and the database from the French National Institute for Demographic Studies (Ined). A total of 42 articles were included for full-text analysis. Eight main categories emerged as reasons for rejecting hormonal contraception: problems related to physical side effects; altered mental health; negative impact on sexuality; concerns about future fertility; invocation of nature; concerns about menstruation; fears and anxiety; and the delegitimization of the side effects of hormonal contraceptives. Thus, arguments against hormonal contraception appeared complex and multifactorial. Future research should examine the provider-patient relationship, the gender bias of hormonal contraception and demands for naturalness in order to understand how birth control could better meet the needs and expectations of women and men in Western countries today.
Topics: Contraception; Female; Fertility; Hormonal Contraception; Humans; Male; Sexism; Sexual Behavior
PubMed: 34339927
DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114247 -
Journal of Affective Disorders Apr 2018Anxiety disorders are highly prevalent during adolescence. Although literature points out that anxiety symptoms are related to problems in social and academic... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Anxiety disorders are highly prevalent during adolescence. Although literature points out that anxiety symptoms are related to problems in social and academic functioning, the extent of these problems among adolescents with clinical anxiety disorders has not been systematically reviewed before.
METHODS
Electronic databases were searched up to October 2017, with keywords representing anxiety disorders, adolescents, and social or academic functioning. The inclusion criteria were studies with a sample of adolescents (10-19 years) with anxiety disorders that provided data regarding their social or academic functioning. 3431 studies were examined, of which 19 met the inclusion criteria.
RESULTS
Adolescents with anxiety disorders had a lower social competence relative to their healthy peers. They reported more negativity within interpersonal relationships, higher levels of loneliness, and victimization. Most adolescents with anxiety disorders felt impaired at school, however, findings of their average school results, compared to peers, were mixed. In addition, they had a higher risk for school refusal and entered higher education less often. Impairments in social and academic functioning differed across type and the number of anxiety disorders.
LIMITATIONS
Most studies examined social phobia or anxiety disorders in general and methodological approaches varied widely between studies.
CONCLUSIONS
This systematic review indicates that adolescents with anxiety disorders experience a range of significant problems in both social and academic functioning. These findings suggest that the assessment and treatment of anxiety disorders in adolescence should focus on improving functioning across domains.
Topics: Academic Success; Adolescent; Anxiety Disorders; Crime Victims; Female; Humans; Interpersonal Relations; Loneliness; Male; Peer Group; Social Behavior; Students
PubMed: 29407534
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2018.01.008 -
American Journal of Community Psychology Sep 2021Interest in the connection between masculinities and mental health continues to grow. However, no previous systematic review has explored this association for...
Interest in the connection between masculinities and mental health continues to grow. However, no previous systematic review has explored this association for adolescents. We present the systematic review of 29 articles that explore the connection between adherence to stereotypical male gender role norms (e.g., emotional restriction), attributes (e.g., "ambitious"), and identity (most commonly, gender "typicality") and internalizing behavior problems and social support. A total of 24,795 adolescent boys (6th-12th grade) were included in the reviewed studies from 1997-2017. In the quantitative articles (n = 20), associations varied by aspect of masculinity assessed. Specifically, we found that greater endorsement of "masculine" traits (e.g., ambitious, assertive) was generally associated with fewer internalizing behavior problems and greater social support. However, lower gender "typicality" and higher adherence to stereotypical gender role norms were generally associated with more internalizing behavior problems and lower social support. In the qualitative articles (n = 9), the most predominant theme was emotional restriction (i.e., a gender role norm) and consequences for mental health. While research in this area is newer for community psychologists, the connection between masculinities and mental health is directly relevant to the field. Given the focus on individual-level conceptions of masculinity and mental health found in our review, we describe key future directions for masculinities research in community psychology.
Topics: Adolescent; Humans; Male; Masculinity; Mental Health; Problem Behavior; Social Support
PubMed: 33417737
DOI: 10.1002/ajcp.12492 -
International Journal of Geriatric... Jan 2014Social relations have become the focus of much research attention when studying depressive symptoms in older adults. Research indicates that social support and being... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
Social relations have become the focus of much research attention when studying depressive symptoms in older adults. Research indicates that social support and being embedded in a network may reduce the risk for depression. The aim of the review was to analyze the association of social relations and depression in older adults.
METHODS
Electronic databases were searched systematically for potentially relevant articles published from January 2000 to December 2012. Thirty-seven studies met the inclusion criteria for this review.
RESULTS
Factors of social relations were categorized into 12 domains. Factors regarding the qualitative aspects of social relations seem to be more consistent among studies and therefore provide more explicit results. Thus, social support, quality of relations, and presence of confidants were identified as factors of social relations significantly associated with depression. The quantitative aspects of social relations seem to be more inconsistent. Cultural differences become most obvious in terms of the quantitative aspects of social relations.
CONCLUSION
Despite the inconsistent results and the methodological limitations of the studies, this review identified a number of factors of social relations that are significantly associated with depression. The review indicates that it is needful to investigate social relations in all their complexity and not reduce them to one dimension. Simultaneously, it is important to conduct longitudinal studies because studies with cross-sectional design do not allow us to draw conclusions on causality. Beyond that, cultural differences need to be considered.
Topics: Age of Onset; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Cultural Characteristics; Depressive Disorder; Humans; Interpersonal Relations; Social Behavior; Social Support
PubMed: 23720299
DOI: 10.1002/gps.3971 -
Schizophrenia Research Feb 2021Social exclusion and rejection have deleterious effects on psychological well-being. Research documents the negative effects of social exclusion and rejection on... (Review)
Review
Social exclusion and rejection have deleterious effects on psychological well-being. Research documents the negative effects of social exclusion and rejection on psychiatric problems like depression, social anxiety disorder, and non-suicidal self-injury. Additionally, prior research suggests that individuals with and at-risk for psychosis spectrum disorders may also be negatively affected by exclusion and rejection. Moreover, those on the psychosis spectrum may be at an even greater risk to experience social exclusion due to poor social functioning and the stigma surrounding the disorder. This systematic review aimed to investigate how individuals across the psychosis spectrum respond to social exclusion and rejection. We systematically searched PubMed and PsycINFO databases to identify studies that met the following eligibility criteria: 1) investigated social exclusion or rejection, 2) targeted a psychosis-related sample or symptoms, and 3) was an empirical study. 13 studies satisfied our eligibility criteria and were subsequently reviewed. Despite methodological variation and samples spanning the psychosis spectrum, the majority of the literature supports the conclusion that those with psychosis spectrum disorders report similar levels of exclusion-induced distress compared to healthy controls, but process and cope with exclusion differently, both behaviorally and neurobiologically.
Topics: Empirical Research; Humans; Psychological Distance; Psychotic Disorders; Social Isolation; Social Stigma
PubMed: 33434731
DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2020.11.056 -
PloS One 2020Although there is anecdotal evidence of ageism occurring at both the structural level (in which societal institutions reinforce systematic bias against older persons)... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
OBJECTIVE
Although there is anecdotal evidence of ageism occurring at both the structural level (in which societal institutions reinforce systematic bias against older persons) and individual level (in which older persons take in the negative views of aging of their culture), previous systematic reviews have not examined how both levels simultaneously influence health. Thus, the impact of ageism may be underestimated. We hypothesized that a comprehensive systematic review would reveal that these ageism levels adversely impact the health of older persons across geography, health outcomes, and time.
METHOD
A literature search was performed using 14 databases with no restrictions on region, language, and publication type. The systematic search yielded 13,691 papers for screening, 638 for full review, and 422 studies for analyses. Sensitivity analyses that adjusted for sample size and study quality were conducted using standardized tools. The study protocol is registered (PROSPERO CRD42018090857).
RESULTS
Ageism led to significantly worse health outcomes in 95.5% of the studies and 74.0% of the 1,159 ageism-health associations examined. The studies reported ageism effects in all 45 countries, 11 health domains, and 25 years studied, with the prevalence of significant findings increasing over time (p < .0001). A greater prevalence of significant ageism-health findings was found in less-developed countries than more-developed countries (p = .0002). Older persons who were less educated were particularly likely to experience adverse health effects of ageism. Evidence of ageism was found across the age, sex, and race/ethnicity of the targeters (i.e., persons perpetrating ageism).
CONCLUSION
The current analysis which included over 7 million participants is the most comprehensive review of health consequences of ageism to date. Considering that the analysis revealed that the detrimental impact of ageism on older persons' health has been occurring simultaneously at the structural and individual level in five continents, our systematic review demonstrates the pernicious reach of ageism.
Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Ageism; Aging; Databases, Factual; Depression; Female; Humans; Male; Peer Review; Social Behavior; Social Discrimination
PubMed: 31940338
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0220857 -
The American Journal of Clinical... Oct 2019Research suggests that people tend to eat more when eating with other people, compared with when they eat alone, and this is known as the social facilitation of eating.... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Research suggests that people tend to eat more when eating with other people, compared with when they eat alone, and this is known as the social facilitation of eating. However, little is known about when and why this phenomenon occurs.
OBJECTIVES
This review aimed to quantify the evidence for social facilitation of eating and identify moderating factors and underlying mechanisms.
METHODS
We systematically reviewed studies that used experimental and nonexperimental approaches to examine food intake/food choice as a function of the number of co-eaters. The following databases were searched during April 2019: PsychInfo, Embase, Medline, and Social Sciences Citation Index. Studies that used naturalistic techniques were narratively synthesized, and meta-analyses were conducted to synthesize results from experimental studies.
RESULTS
We reviewed 42 studies. We found strong evidence that people select and eat more when eating with friends, compared with when they eat alone [Z = 5.32; P < 0.001; standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.76; 95% CI: 0.48, 1.03]. The meta-analysis revealed no evidence for social facilitation across studies that had examined food intake when participants ate alone or with strangers/acquaintances (Z = 1.32; P = 0.19; SMD = 0.21, 95% CI: -0.10, 0.51). There was some evidence that the social facilitation of eating is moderated by gender, weight status, and food type. However, this evidence was limited by a lack of experimental research examining the moderating effect of these factors on the social facilitation of eating among friends. In 2 studies, there was evidence that the effect of the social context on eating may be partly mediated by longer meal durations and the perceived appropriateness of eating.
CONCLUSIONS
Findings suggest that eating with others increases food intake relative to eating alone, and this is moderated by the familiarity of co-eaters. The review identifies potential mechanisms for the social facilitation of eating and highlights the need for further research to establish mediating factors. Finally, we propose a new theoretical framework in which we suggest that the social facilitation of eating has evolved as an efficient evolutionary adaptation.
Topics: Eating; Food Preferences; Humans; Social Behavior
PubMed: 31435639
DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqz155 -
Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences Jun 2013Background. There is strong evidence that those with a long-standing psychotic disorder have fewer social contacts and less social support than comparison groups. There... (Review)
Review
Background. There is strong evidence that those with a long-standing psychotic disorder have fewer social contacts and less social support than comparison groups. There is less research on the extent of social contacts and support prior to or at the onset of psychosis. In the light of recent evidence implicating a range of social experiences and contexts at the onset of psychosis, it is relevant to establish whether social networks and support diminished before or at the time of onset and whether the absence of such supports might contribute to risk, either directly or indirectly. We, therefore, conducted a systematic review of this literature to establish what is currently known about the relationship between social networks, support and early psychosis. Methods. We identified all studies investigating social networks and support in first episode psychosis samples and in general population samples with measures of psychotic experiences or schizotype by conducting systematic searches of electronic databases using pre-defined search terms and criteria. Findings were synthesized using non-quantitative approaches. Results. Thirty-eight papers were identified that met inclusion criteria. There was marked methodological heterogeneity, which limits the capacity to draw direct comparisons. Nonetheless, the existing literature suggests social networks (particularly close friends) and support diminished both among first episode samples and among non-clinical samples reporting psychotic experiences or with schizotype traits, compared with varying comparison groups. These differences may be more marked for men and for those from minority ethnic populations. Conclusions. Tentatively, reduced social networks and support appear to pre-date onset of psychotic disorder. However, the substantial methodological heterogeneity among the existing studies makes comparisons difficult and suggests a need for more robust and comparable studies on networks, support and early psychosis.
Topics: Ethnicity; Humans; Psychotic Disorders; Social Behavior; Social Networking; Social Support
PubMed: 22831843
DOI: 10.1017/S2045796012000406