Loneliness and Subjective Wellbeing During the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review.

To prevent the transmission of COVID-19, unprecedented measures were implemented, such as community lockdowns. With limited social interactions, the problem of loneliness might have worsened. As loneliness is thought to have a detrimental effect on subjective wellbeing (SWB), the present systematic review aims to better investigate and summarize the existing evidence about the association of loneliness and SWB during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 18 articles were included. In all studies, independently of the component of wellbeing assessed or of the instrument used, a negative association between loneliness and SWB was found. The results show an increase in loneliness during times of restrictions on social contacts, with a subsequent association with lower SWB, and underscore the need for developing specific interventions to tackle loneliness and for promoting alternative forms of social interaction if further physical distancing measures are needed. However, the literature had several limitations, since most of the studies followed cross-sectional and descriptive methodologies.

Sex differences in the symptom network structure of depression: Findings from a nationwide sample of the Spanish adult population.

BACKGROUND: Sex differences in the prevalence and clinical features of depression have been widely described. However, some authors argue that categorical diagnostic systems do not adequately capture the complexity of depression. The aim of this study was to examine sex differences in the symptom network structure of depressive symptoms among individuals with a major depressive episode. METHODS: The study sample consisted of 510 participants (age 62.17 ± 14.43, 71.96 % women) from a nationwide study of the Spanish non-institutionalised adult population (Edad con Salud). To estimate the presence of a 12-month major depressive episode according to DSM-IV criteria, participants were administered an adapted version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI 3.0). A network analysis was carried out to determine possible interrelationships between different depressive symptoms by sex. RESULTS: Men and women showed a similar overall structure and network strength. However, sex-specific variations emerged in relation to individual symptom associations and symptom centrality. Specifically, for individual symptom associations "loss of confidence" and "suicide attempts" were more strongly related in women, and "suicidal ideation" and "impaired thinking" in men. For symptom centrality, "anxiety" played a central role in men's symptomatology, whereas "hopelessness", "loss of confidence", "distress" and "slowness of movement" were the most central symptoms in the women's group. LIMITATIONS: Reliance on cross-sectional data precludes us from determining the direction and temporality of the association between different symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that specific symptoms should be prioritised in the prevention, diagnosis assessment and treatment of depressed patients based on sex.

Relationship between family functioning, differentiation of self and anxiety in Spanish young adults.

OBJECTIVES: In the present study, the relationship between family functioning, differentiation of self and trait anxiety was examined. In addition, differences in trait anxiety and differentiation of self according to sex were studied. It was also checked whether family functioning predicted the achieved degree of differentiation of self, and whether family functioning and differentiation of self predicted the level of trait anxiety. Finally, it was analyzed whether the level of differentiation of self mediated the relationship between family functioning and trait anxiety. METHODS: The study involved 185 Spanish participants, aged between 18 and 56 years and the scales used were the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale-20Esp (FACES-20Esp), the Differentiation of Self Scale (EDS) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). RESULTS: The results indicated that family functioning was related to differentiation of self and trait anxiety, and that differentiation of self was related to trait anxiety. In addition, according to sex, differences were found in the degree of differentiation of self and in the I Position, with a higher score for men, as well as in Emotional Reactivity and trait anxiety, with higher scores for women. It was also observed that family functioning predicted the level of differentiation of self, and that differentiation of self and family functioning predicted trait anxiety. Finally, it was found that the relationship between family functioning and trait anxiety was partially mediated by differentiation of self. CONCLUSIONS: There are relationships between family functioning, differentiation of self and trait anxiety, and there are differences in differentiation of self and trait anxiety based on sex. The relevance of the results and their implications for clinical practice are discussed.