特集 友情 Friendship

Background and objectives The current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and social distancing measures are an extreme stressor that might result in negative emotional experiences and feelings of loneliness. However, it is possible that social relationships might have a protective effect. In the present study, we examine how the COVID-19 pandemic affected older adults' well-being and loneliness, and the role of structural and functional characteristics of social relationships. Research design and methods We use data from 99 older adults in Switzerland who participated (a) in a 3-week microlongitudinal study on social relationships and well-being in 2019 and (b) in a weekly online survey during 4 weeks of the COVID-19 lockdown. Results Our findings show that the global pandemic had substantial adverse effects on older adults' emotional well-being and loneliness. In addition, aspects of social relationships were related to loneliness both before and during the pandemic. Only one functional feature of social relationships (satisfaction with communication during the pandemic) buffered adverse effects of the major stressful event. Discussion and implications Although the social distancing measures during COVID-19 presented a major stressor for older adults' well-being and loneliness, being able to maintain social communication to a satisfactory level during that time reduced this effect. Therefore, enabling older adults to stay in touch with their social circle based on their personal preferences might reduce the impact that any future lockdown might have on their well-being.

https://www.zora.uzh.ch/id/eprint/193622/1/gnaa194.pdf

Well-Being and Loneliness in Swiss Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Social Relationships.

Social capital is defined as the individual’s pool of social resources found in his/her personal network. A recent study on Italians living as couples has shown that friendship relationships, beyond those within an individual’s family, are an important source of support. Here, we used data from Aspects of Daily Life, the Italian National Statistical Institute’s 2012 multipurpose survey, to analyze the relation between friendship ties and life satisfaction. Our results show that friendship, in terms of intensity (measured by the frequency with which individuals see their friends) and quality (measured by the satisfaction with friendship relationships), is positively associated to life satisfaction.

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Social relations and life satisfaction: the role of friends

The association between the level of adherence to the Mediterranean diet and successful aging: An analysis of the ATTICA and MEDIS (MEDiterranean Islands Study) epidemiological studies.

This study analyzed the mediating effect of the body–mind–spirit dimensions of wellness between dispositional gratitude and life satisfaction among bachelor’s students enrolled at a midsized private university in Islamabad. Rooted in the Broaden-and-Build theory, the study explains how the positive emotion of gratitude may develop personal resources in terms of wellness behaviors or resources, which subsequently foster life satisfaction. The study sample of 779 students was divided into subsample 1 (n = 389) and subsample 2 (n = 390) through a randomizer to obtain solid results. As predicted, the results from a parallel mediation analysis using Model 4 of the PROCESS macro indicated that the body, mind, and spirit dimensions of wellness mediated the dispositional gratitude → life satisfaction link in the two subsamples. The implications of the results for interventions and future research are discussed.

The Body–Mind–Spirit Dimensions of Wellness Mediate Dispositional Gratitude and Life Satisfaction

The need for support becomes stronger in situations of pressure, uncertainty and overload caused by unfavorable economic, demographic or social circumstances. Especially in countries—such as Italy—where an adequate welfare system is lacking, the individual’s social space can represent a resilience (anti-frailty) tool through the activation of a support network. While the literature has mainly analyzed the support that some vulnerable categories (e.g., elderly and youths) receive from their family, we focus on individuals living in Italy in the first stages of their family life, with the aim of describing their support network. We construct the potential support ego-centered (PSE) network—at partner and couple level—of individuals living in couple using data from the survey “Family and Social Subjects” carried out in Italy in 2009 by the Italian National Statistical Institute. Furthermore, we compare the network typologies detected using two alternative clustering techniques with the objective of finding the partners’ and couples’ network types and verifying whether traditional strong support received by the family persists in Italy and/or whether new kinds of support networks are emerging. Several PSE network typologies, ranging from empty to comprehensive networks, were determined with a fair match between the two procedures. Analysis revealed the importance of friends and neighbors, especially in the North of Italy, to the support of partners and couple as a whole.

Relational Resources of Individuals Living in Couple: Evidence from an Italian Survey

A brief introduction to statistical models for complete network data is presented. An example is provided by the collaboration network of Italian scholars on Population Studies.

Modelling Network Data: An Introduction to Exponential Random Graph Models

The population ageing has become a global and worldwide phenomenon. Especially in Italy this process is strong and incontestable. In this scenario the work force ageing and the challenges that make urgent to find tools and measures to manage the oldest people can give to the “applied demographer” a significant role. Moving from the definition of active ageing we illustrate skills, activities and suggestions that a demographer could easily share with human resource managers interested in promoting strategies and policies enhancing employability and productivity of older workers. We report real experiences with ABB Italia, SOL Group and Italcementi. We finally give details on AMO (Age Management Observatory).

Population ageing and human resources management. A chance for Applied Demography.

International research on individual behaviour has shown the importance of the network of relationships binding the individual to the people who are close to their in everyday life. The “social space” can take shape in (immediate or extended) family, friends, workmates, or neighbors; it can generate strong or weak ties that interact with individual choices and it can appear as emotional support, instrumental support or social companionship. According to this line of research, using data from ISTAT Multipurpose Survey 2003 (Family and Social Subjects), we intend: i ) to analyze the ego-centered social support networks of Italian couples along the different phases of family formation; ii ) to extract structurally similar groups (network typologies) from partners’ ego-networks by means of multivariate techniques (i. e. the network ensemble clustering using latent roles and a form of robust clustering using the forward search). More specifically, our research questions concern: the characteristics of partners’ ego social support networks; the kind of help couples receive from people outside the immediate family; the effect of network typologies on the probability of receiving help in the family life course.

Giulia Rivellini

Papers

Social relations and life satisfaction: the role of friends

Relational Resources of Individuals Living in Couple: Evidence from an Italian Survey

Modelling Network Data: An Introduction to Exponential Random Graph Models

Population ageing and human resources management. A chance for Applied Demography.

Support and Social Networks of Italian Couples