Conceptual framework for social connectedness in mental disorders: systematic review and narrative synthesis

Hare Duke, Laurie; Dening, Tom; de Oliveira, Deborah; Milner, Katja; Slade, Mike

Abstract

Background: Adults with mental disorders are at 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 22 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: This new five-dimension framework of social connectedness in mental disorders provides the theoretical foundation for developing new measures and interventions for social connectedness.

Citation

Hare Duke, L., Dening, T., de Oliveira, D., Milner, K., & Slade, M. (2019). Conceptual framework for social connectedness in mental disorders: systematic review and narrative synthesis. Journal of Affective Disorders, 245, 188-199. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2018.10.359

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Oct 27, 2018
• Online Publication Date: Oct 29, 2018
• Publication Date: Feb 15, 2019
• Deposit Date: Oct 29, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 30, 2019
• Journal: Journal of Affective Disorders
• Print ISSN: 0165-0327
• Electronic ISSN: 1573-2517
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 245
• Pages: 188-199
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2018.10.359
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1203614
• Publisher URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165032718315106
• Additional Information: This article is maintained by: Elsevier; Article Title: Conceptual framework for social connectedness in mental disorders: Systematic review and narrative synthesis; Journal Title: Journal of Affective Disorders; CrossRef DOI link to publisher maintained version: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2018.10.359; Content Type: article; Copyright: © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
• Contract Date: Oct 29, 2018