Kim Samuel

Bio: Kim Samuel is an academic researcher from McGill University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Social connectedness & Social isolation. The author has an hindex of 1, co-authored 1 publications receiving 51 citations.

Measures of social isolation

Abstract: Social isolation is a deprivation of social connectedness. It is a crucial aspect that continues to be named by people as a core impediment for achieving well-being and as a relevant factor for understanding poverty. However it is not routinely included in surveys that provide data on multidimensional poverty measurement. Although the challenge of measuring social connectedness is daunting, this paper argues that existing research in several fields provides solid ground for the construction of basic internationally comparable indicators that measure specific aspects of social isolation. In particular, this paper synthesises the relevant literature on the measurement of social isolation and related phenomena, and on the basis of this synthetic review, proposes a module of indicators to measure social connectedness that could be feasibly incorporated into an internationally comparable multi-topic household survey.

The effects of social isolation on well-being and life satisfaction during pandemic

Abstract: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic placed many locations under ‘stay at home” orders and adults simultaneously underwent a form of social isolation that is unprecedented in the modern world Perceived social isolation can have a significant effect on health and well-being Further, one can live with others and still experience perceived social isolation However, there is limited research on psychological well-being during a pandemic In addition, much of the research is limited to older adult samples This study examined the effects of perceived social isolation in adults across the age span Specifically, this study documented the prevalence of social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the various factors that contribute to individuals of all ages feeling more or less isolated while they are required to maintain physical distancing for an extended period of time Survey data was collected from 309 adults who ranged in age from 18 to 84 The measure consisted of a 42 item survey from the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale, Measures of Social Isolation (Zavaleta et al, 2017), and items specifically about the pandemic and demographics Items included both Likert scale items and open-ended questions A “snowball” data collection process was used to build the sample While the entire sample reported at least some perceived social isolation, young adults reported the highest levels of isolation, χ2(2) = 2736, p < 0001 Perceived social isolation was associated with poor life satisfaction across all domains, as well as work-related stress, and lower trust of institutions Higher levels of substance use as a coping strategy was also related to higher perceived social isolation Respondents reporting higher levels of subjective personal risk for COVID-19 also reported higher perceived social isolation The experience of perceived social isolation has significant negative consequences related to psychological well-being

Social isolation and its relationship to multidimensional poverty

Abstract: While the multidimensionality of poverty is well-recognised, one dimension of poverty which has been often overlooked is weak social connectedness. This paper draws on conceptual, participatory and...

Loneliness in Europe: Personal and Societal Individualism-Collectivism and Their Connection to Social Isolation

Abstract: This article explains perceived loneliness among people in Europe by accounting for cultural factors as well as social isolation. Culturally, it measures the impact of both personal and societal individualism-collectivism on loneliness. It accounts for social isolation by looking at the separate effects of living alone, emotional isolation, and relational isolation. Using a 2014 European Social Survey sample comprising 36,760 individuals in 21 countries, the study predicts loneliness using multilevel logistic regression modeling using both maximum likelihood and Bayesian estimation procedures. Results indicate that societal individualism may strongly reduce loneliness, even after taking into account that social isolation partially mediates this relationship. Further, the effects of living alone and relational isolation depend upon whether one is personally an individualist or collectivist. Living alone and relational isolation greatly increase loneliness, and such negative effects are somewhat reduced for individualists. However, individualists are not protected from the negative impacts of emotional isolation at all, and the above moderation effects do not hold for the most severe forms of loneliness. Based on this analysis, the best case for reduced loneliness for individualists and collectivists alike is that they maintain a strong degree of multiple forms of social integration and live in an individualist society. (Less)