Abstract：
BACKGROUND: Social isolation and loneliness (known as social disconnection, collectively) lead to serious downstream health effects, including shortening of lifespan and higher risk for cardiac disease. We must better understand how isolation and loneliness lead to these negative health outcomes. Previous literature has demonstrated that social motivation and social ability are contributors to the likelihood of social isolation and loneliness. We examined the effect of the above social factors on immune gene expression in socially-connected and -isolated individuals.
METHODS: Recruitment occurred via two online advertisements, one for socially isolated individuals and another for general research participants. Participants (n = 102) were separated into groups (isolated versus connected) based on which ad they responded to, and provided data on isolation, loneliness, social motivation, and social ability. The Conserved Transcriptional Response to Adversity (CTRA) stress gene regulation program was assessed with genome-wide transcriptional profiling.
RESULTS: CTRA gene expression patterns were reversed between connected and isolated groups across several variables. Social isolation was associated with higher CTRA levels in the connected group, but lower levels in the isolated group. Social approach was associated with lower CTRA levels in the connected group, but higher in the isolated group, and the converse was true for social avoidance. CTRA levels were minimally affected by social ability measures.
CONCLUSIONS: Prior work on social isolation and loneliness has focused on loneliness and has identified many negative downstream health effects. In this study we demonstrate that objective social isolation may not be associated with the same negative downstream health effects, and in fact, social interaction may be more stressful than social isolation for some socially-isolated individuals.
METHODS: Recruitment occurred via two online advertisements, one for socially isolated individuals and another for general research participants. Participants (n = 102) were separated into groups (isolated versus connected) based on which ad they responded to, and provided data on isolation, loneliness, social motivation, and social ability. The Conserved Transcriptional Response to Adversity (CTRA) stress gene regulation program was assessed with genome-wide transcriptional profiling.
RESULTS: CTRA gene expression patterns were reversed between connected and isolated groups across several variables. Social isolation was associated with higher CTRA levels in the connected group, but lower levels in the isolated group. Social approach was associated with lower CTRA levels in the connected group, but higher in the isolated group, and the converse was true for social avoidance. CTRA levels were minimally affected by social ability measures.
CONCLUSIONS: Prior work on social isolation and loneliness has focused on loneliness and has identified many negative downstream health effects. In this study we demonstrate that objective social isolation may not be associated with the same negative downstream health effects, and in fact, social interaction may be more stressful than social isolation for some socially-isolated individuals.
摘要：
背景：社会孤立和孤独（称为社会脱节，集体)导致严重的下游健康影响，包括缩短寿命和更高的心脏病风险。我们必须更好地了解孤立和孤独如何导致这些负面的健康结果。先前的文献表明，社会动机和社交能力是导致社会孤立和孤独的可能性的因素。我们研究了上述社会因素对社会联系和孤立个体中免疫基因表达的影响。
方法：通过两个在线广告进行招聘，一个是社会孤立的个人，另一个是一般研究参与者。参与者(n=102)被分成几组(孤立的和连接的)，基于他们回应的广告，并提供了有关隔离的数据，孤独,社会动机，和社交能力。对逆境的保守转录反应(CTRA)应激基因调控程序用全基因组转录谱分析评估。
结果：CTRA基因表达模式在几个变量的连接组和隔离组之间发生逆转。社会隔离与连接组中较高的CTRA水平相关，但在孤立的群体中水平较低。社会方法与连接组中较低的CTRA水平相关，但在孤立的群体中更高，相反，对于社会回避是正确的。CTRA水平受社交能力指标的影响最小。
结论：关于社会隔离和孤独感的先前工作集中在孤独感上，并发现了许多负面的下游健康影响。在这项研究中，我们证明了客观的社会隔离可能与相同的负面下游健康影响无关。事实上,对于一些社会孤立的个人来说，社交互动可能比社会孤立更有压力。
方法：通过两个在线广告进行招聘，一个是社会孤立的个人，另一个是一般研究参与者。参与者(n=102)被分成几组(孤立的和连接的)，基于他们回应的广告，并提供了有关隔离的数据，孤独,社会动机，和社交能力。对逆境的保守转录反应(CTRA)应激基因调控程序用全基因组转录谱分析评估。
结果：CTRA基因表达模式在几个变量的连接组和隔离组之间发生逆转。社会隔离与连接组中较高的CTRA水平相关，但在孤立的群体中水平较低。社会方法与连接组中较低的CTRA水平相关，但在孤立的群体中更高，相反，对于社会回避是正确的。CTRA水平受社交能力指标的影响最小。
结论：关于社会隔离和孤独感的先前工作集中在孤独感上，并发现了许多负面的下游健康影响。在这项研究中，我们证明了客观的社会隔离可能与相同的负面下游健康影响无关。事实上,对于一些社会孤立的个人来说，社交互动可能比社会孤立更有压力。
