Acute social isolation evokes midbrain craving responses similar to hunger

Tomova, Livia; Wang, Kimberly L.; Thompson, Todd W.; Matthews, Gillian A.; Takahashi, Atsushi; Tye, Kay M.; Saxe, Rebecca

doi:10.1101/2020.03.25.006643

Cited by 68 publications

(117 citation statements)

References 137 publications

(223 reference statements)

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“…Hence, loneliness should motivate to prosocial behaviors that help build meaningful social ties and fulfill one’s need to belong 14 – 16 . In line with this, previous work has shown that individuals who experience momentary feelings of loneliness crave for social interaction 17 . However, there is also evidence that lonely individuals are more negatively biased toward others and more socially withdrawn 18 , 19 .…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 63%

Positive attitudes and negative expectations in lonely individuals

Bellucci

2020

Sci Rep

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Loneliness is a central predictor of depression and major factor of all-cause mortality. Loneliness is supposed to be a warning signal prompting individuals to seek out social connections. However, lonely individuals seem to be less likely to engage in prosocial activities and are overall more socially withdrawn. Hence, it is yet unclear whether and how loneliness affects an individual’s social motivations. Prosocial attitudes and expectations about social interactions of lonely individuals might shed light on whether lonely individuals are more prone to connect or withdraw from social activities. Here, results from a large dataset (~ 15,500 individuals) provide evidence for both. In particular, lonely individuals indicate stronger altruistic attitudes, suggesting a positive tendency to build and maintain social bonds. However, they also report more negative expectations about others, as they believe their social partners be less fair and trustworthy, suggesting less favorable evaluations of social interactions. By highlighting an important link between loneliness, prosocial attitudes and social expectations, this work stresses the role of loneliness in social motivations, points to potential consequences for social behaviors, and proposes a mechanism for the paradoxical effects of loneliness on an individual’s social attitudes and expectations, with important implications for future basic and clinical research, as well as education, economics and public policy.

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 63%

Positive attitudes and negative expectations in lonely individuals

Bellucci

2020

Sci Rep

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“…They have to withdraw at home, whereas in normal times, excessive social withdrawal is considered as a psychiatric symptom (Tajan 2015;Lamblin et al, 2017). Interestingly, acute isolation may cause social craving, with neural craving responses similar to hunger, even at the neurofunctional level (Tomova et al, 2020). While regressive behavior and externalized symptoms can be observed in children in times of crisis, the manifestations of psychological suffering in this context may be more discreet in adolescents: sleep disturbances, problems with peers, isolation, and depression (Douglas et al, 2009).…”

Section: Lockdownmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adolescent psychiatric disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown

Guessoum

Lachal

Radjack

et al. 2020

Psychiatry Research

832

687

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The aim of this paper was to review the literature on adolescent psychiatric disorders related to the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown. Stressful life events, extended home confinement, brutal grief, intrafamilial violence, overuse of the Internet and social media are factors that could influence the mental health of adolescents during this period. The COVID-19 pandemic could result in increased psychiatric disorders such as Post-Traumatic Stress, Depressive, and Anxiety Disorders, as well as grief-related symptoms. Adolescents with psychiatric disorders are at risk of a break or change in their care and management; they may experience increased symptoms. The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown may have a negative impact on the mental health of adolescents, although there is still no data on the long term impact of this crisis. Adolescents' individual, familial, and social vulnerability, as well as individual and familial coping abilities, are factors related to adolescent mental health in times of crisis. Adolescents are often vulnerable and require careful consideration by caregivers and healthcare system adaptations to allow for mental health support despite the lockdown. Research on adolescent psychiatric disorders in times of pandemics is necessary, as such a global situation could be prolonged or repeated.

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“…Loneliness is a predictor for the development of depression [9], and it is associated with worse prognosis for depressed individuals [10]. Recent research has found that social isolation triggers neural craving responses similar to hunger [11]. Therefore, people with preexisting loneliness may feel even more socially deprived during the pandemic, and this may negatively impact their mental health.…”

Section: Social Isolation and Lonelinessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Depression, Anxiety and Stress Symptomatology among Swedish University Students Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cohort Study.

Johansson

Côté

Hogg‐Johnson³

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Background. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound effect on societies, economies, and daily life of citizens worldwide. This has raised important concerns about the mental health of different populations. We aimed to determine if symptom levels of depression, anxiety, and stress were different during the COVID-19 outbreak compared to before, with the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale as main outcome. We also aimed to determine whether pre-pandemic loneliness, poor sleep quality and mental health problems were associated with worse trajectories of mental health. Methods. We conducted a cohort study with 1658 Swedish university students answering questionnaires before the pandemic and a 81 % response-rate to follow-ups during the pandemic. Generalized Estimating Equations were used to estimate mean levels of symptoms before and during the pandemic, and to estimate effect modification by levels of loneliness, sleep quality and pre-existing mental health problems. Results. We found small differences in symptoms. Mean depression increased by 0.23/21 (95% CI:0.03 to 0.43), mean anxiety decreased by -0.06/21 (95% CI: -0.21 to 0.09) and mean stress decreased by - 0.34/21 (95% CI: -0.56 to -0.12). Loneliness, poor sleep quality and pre-existing mental health problems minimally influenced trajectories. Conclusions. Contrary to widely held concerns, we found minimal changes in mental health among Swedish university students during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Acute social isolation evokes midbrain craving responses similar to hunger

Cited by 68 publications

References 137 publications

Positive attitudes and negative expectations in lonely individuals

Positive attitudes and negative expectations in lonely individuals

Adolescent psychiatric disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown

Depression, Anxiety and Stress Symptomatology among Swedish University Students Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cohort Study.

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