Social Inclusion and Isolation: Research for the Post-COVID Era and Beyond

Abstract

Fellow clinical gerontologists For much of history, as the quote above suggests, both poets and scholars have been aware of the difference between the voluntary seeking of solitude for reflection or rejuvenation, and the deleterious effects of social isolation, particularly if it is unwanted or imposed. The era of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has been marked by a heightened sense of the importance of social connection amid the regulation of physical proximity and the enforced social isolation of members of societies globally, most significantly older people in residential aged care facilities. This appreciation of the value of social inclusion and connectivity has ramifications for social policy as well as innovation in research and intervention science. Although this special issue of Clinical Gerontologist was conceived before COVID-19 was a reality, the research encompassed herein is reflective of both ongoing research enquiries into the nature and benefits of social connection, and the negative impacts of social isolation. The benefits of social connections, and interventions to improve such links. Special populations of interest, including Veterans and persons living with dementia and their care networks, as well as the most vulnerable, unbefriended older adults in medical settings, are also addressed in terms of behavioral survey, assessment and intervention research. The first of these papers, by Townsend, Chen, and Wuthrich (2021) is a systematic review of the literature examining barriers and potential facilitators of social participation in older adults. The review produced four main types of barriers and facilitators: demographic, individual, environmental and social network factors. Personal motivations to pursue or maintain social connections, the value of preexisting social networks, and neighborhood cohesion contribute not just to social connectivity, but to the quality of these social interactions in older adults. The evidence for the benefits of social connections are mounting in the broader literature, as well as the best methods to maintain social connections in later life. In this special issue, Giebel et al. (2021) examined the benefits of maintaining social support in a large sample of older adults primarily from disadvantaged neighborhoods. They found those with lower social support visited their GP more often, suggesting that social supports could buffer mild health concerns and unnecessary GP visits. In a study by Yang, Tng, Ng, and Yang (2021), they examined the mechanisms underlying the links between loneliness and increased risk for dementia. Whilst loneliness has recently been found to increase dementia risk, it is still unclear what drives this effect. Using mediational analyses, they found that sense of control mediated the relationship between loneliness and dementia risk, but not self-efficacy, suggesting that perceptions of the control over one’s social environment might be particularly relevant. Several studies examined the use of technology to increase and maintain social connections. The study by Liddle et al. (2021) used qualitative interviews in a sample of people using technology-based solutions to maintain social contact due to health issues or living in a rural or remote area. The sample reported benefits of technology-based solutions included