Depresssion, anxiety and other cognitive consequences of social isolation: Drug and non‐drug treatments

Abstract

Social interaction has a crucial role in human well-being, both mentally and physically. 1 Human social isolation (SI) happens when the social relationship between individuals become deficient. 2 Moreover, it mostly occurs when the number of individuals, who are members of social links, decrease, or the qualification of social relations, diminishes. During SI, people experience unpleasant situations mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. 3,4 Some conditions force individuals to leave human groups and reduce their socia9l interactions, presence in the population, and group activities. Being single, getting a divorce and separation may also result in isolation. 2,5 Further, weak connections and lack of social support have shown to be significant risk factors of isolation, which result in loneliness, stress, and committing suicide. 6,7 Meanwhile, some infectious diseases such as COVID-19, AIDS and some physical disorders have shown to develop SI in humans. 8,9 Also, some studies have confirmed impairment in sensory processing is significantly correlated with depression.Extreme sensory processing patterns make humans feel hopeless and depressed. 10,11 As previous scientific research has described the association between vision disabilities and hearing problems with isolation and reduced human relation. 12 Loneliness is considered as a risk factor for many psychiatric disorders such as adjustment disorder, chronic stress, insomnia and also late-life dementia 9 which may be long lasting. 13 Adverse effects on cognition and behaviour, decision-making, and pain perception are followed by social isolation. 14,15 SI has shown to change the immune system, glutamate system, and hormones. [15][16][17] Besides, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and developmental neurodegenerative diseases have occurred during SI. 15 It has been

Childhood social isolation causes anxiety-like behaviors via the damage of blood-brain barrier in amygdala in female mice

“…Social behavior, like eating and sleeping, is an essential function for both socialized animals and human beings survival and development ( Baumeister and Leary, 1995 ; Cacioppo et al, 2014 ). Lack of social interaction, as a psychological stress factor, lead to mental disorders such as anxiety and depression ( Cacioppo et al, 2014 ; Chen et al, 2016 ; Endo et al, 2018 ; Xia and Li, 2018 ; Campagne, 2019 ; Fosnocht et al, 2019 ; Pais et al, 2019 ; Taheri Zadeh et al, 2021 ). Moreover, comparing to men, women are more prone to mental health conditions after experiencing social isolation ( Sepúlveda-Loyola et al, 2020 ; Smith et al, 2020 ; Taheri Zadeh et al, 2021 ).…”

“…Lack of social interaction, as a psychological stress factor, lead to mental disorders such as anxiety and depression ( Cacioppo et al, 2014 ; Chen et al, 2016 ; Endo et al, 2018 ; Xia and Li, 2018 ; Campagne, 2019 ; Fosnocht et al, 2019 ; Pais et al, 2019 ; Taheri Zadeh et al, 2021 ). Moreover, comparing to men, women are more prone to mental health conditions after experiencing social isolation ( Sepúlveda-Loyola et al, 2020 ; Smith et al, 2020 ; Taheri Zadeh et al, 2021 ). Specifically, most anxiety disorders affect almost twice as many women as men ( Craske and Stein, 2016 ).…”

SARS‐CoV‐2 Omicron variant: Why global communities should take it seriously?

“…Improving health care capacities with adequate health care staff, oxygen mask availability, and sufficient intensive care unit beds, along with providing people with precise and swift information about the Covid‐19 is critical as we have entered 2022 and have passed the holiday season 13 . In the meantime, through the lessons we have learned, it is crucial to provide communities with suitable communication facilitates to protect people from potential social isolation and further mental health problems while breaking the chain of the Covid‐19 infection 14,15 …”

“…13 In the meantime, through the lessons we have learned, it is crucial to provide communities with suitable communication facilitates to protect people from potential social isolation and further mental health problems while breaking the chain of the Covid‐19 infection. 14 , 15…”

Alone, in the dark: The extraordinary neuroethology of the solitary blind mole rat

“…In social mammalian species, social structures of dyads, families or larger groups of various sizes are common ( Prox and Farine, 2020 ), and social isolation is experienced as a potent stressor, which often leads to debilitating psychological, behavioral, and physiological effects ( Mumtaz et al, 2018 ; Leigh-Hunt et al, 2017 ). In humans for example, prolonged social isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was reported to have led to increases in cardiovascular disease cases, and cognitive deteriorations like depression and anxiety, in the worldwide population ( Pietrabissa and Simpson, 2020 ; Taheri Zadeh et al, 2021 ). Social isolation in prairie voles was shown to produce cardiovascular dysfunctions and depression ( McNeal et al, 2014 ), and socially isolated male mice showed impaired GABAergic function and increased aggressiveness ( Matsumoto et al, 2005 ).…”