Laurie Hare-Duke1, Tom Dening2, Déborah de Oliveira2, Katja Milner2, Mike Slade2. 1. Institute of Mental Health, University of Nottingham, NG7 2TU, UK. Electronic address: laurie.hareduke1@nottingham.ac.uk. 2. Institute of Mental Health, University of Nottingham, NG7 2TU, UK.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Adults with mental disorders are at a high risk of loneliness. Loneliness has been implicated in a wide variety of physical and mental health problems. Social connectedness interventions are one means to tackle loneliness but have shown mixed effectiveness. This study aims to: (1) identify existing measures of social connectedness and (2) develop a conceptual framework of social connectedness to inform future measurement and the development of new interventions. METHODS: A systematic review of studies from six bibliographic databases was conducted. Studies were included if a quantitative measure of social connectedness was used amongst samples of adults with a mental disorder. Two analyses were conducted: a best evidence synthesis of measurement properties for identified measures and a narrative synthesis of items from these measures. RESULTS: Twenty-eight papers were included, employing 21 different measures. Measurement properties were of poor or unknown quality. Data synthesis identified a five-dimension conceptual framework of social connectedness: Closeness, Identity and common bond, Valued relationships, Involvement and Cared for and accepted (giving the acronym CIVIC). LIMITATIONS: The majority of studies were conducted in high-income countries. It was not possible to validate the conceptual framework using the identified psychometric data. CONCLUSIONS: The new five-dimension framework of social connectedness in mental disorders provides the theoretical foundation for developing new measures and interventions for social connectedness.
BACKGROUND: Adults with mental disorders are at a high risk of loneliness. Loneliness has been implicated in a wide variety of physical and mental health problems. Social connectedness interventions are one means to tackle loneliness but have shown mixed effectiveness. This study aims to: (1) identify existing measures of social connectedness and (2) develop a conceptual framework of social connectedness to inform future measurement and the development of new interventions. METHODS: A systematic review of studies from six bibliographic databases was conducted. Studies were included if a quantitative measure of social connectedness was used amongst samples of adults with a mental disorder. Two analyses were conducted: a best evidence synthesis of measurement properties for identified measures and a narrative synthesis of items from these measures. RESULTS: Twenty-eight papers were included, employing 21 different measures. Measurement properties were of poor or unknown quality. Data synthesis identified a five-dimension conceptual framework of social connectedness: Closeness, Identity and common bond, Valued relationships, Involvement and Cared for and accepted (giving the acronym CIVIC). LIMITATIONS: The majority of studies were conducted in high-income countries. It was not possible to validate the conceptual framework using the identified psychometric data. CONCLUSIONS: The new five-dimension framework of social connectedness in mental disorders provides the theoretical foundation for developing new measures and interventions for social connectedness.
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