February’s a good month to strengthen your neural networks! Socializing can stimulate attention and memory and improve your mood; you may just be laughing and talking, but your brain is hard at work…
Benefits of Social Participation
Archbishop Desmond Tutu once said “The fundamental law of human beings is interdependence. A person is a person through other persons.” We are social creatures, and when we aren’t, it’s not good for us. Loneliness is a known risk factor for depression and anxiety, reduced cognitive function, a weakened immune system, poor sleep, low energy, diet issues and substance abuse.
Through neural imaging, researchers have discovered the brain processes social pain very much like it processes physical pain1. Physical and social pain use the same neural circuitry, and we often process social pain as physical pain; we say things like “I am broken hearted,” and “it was a gut punch.”
People with fewer social connections are more likely to die prematurely than those with strong social networks. For this study, researchers utilized statistical models for mortality and compared the data to other risk factors such as cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity and more. They determined early mortality for loneliness aligned with the mortality rates for all the risk factors.
Just like thirst can tell us that we need to drink water, a feeling of loneliness is our brain and body’s way of telling us to connect with others. Every interaction reinforces that we are part of a community, so volunteer with a group or organization. Participate in a community garden. Learn a new skill. Many libraries and communities offer free or low-cost social opportunities to meet up online, such as book groups, town-wide discussions, and creative courses. The more open you are to new experiences and new people, the more likely it is that you will make connections with others that can help you maintain good health well into the future.
Determinants of Social Participation in People with Disability
Scientists have found people with strong social ties are less likely to experience cognitive decline than people who spend most of their time alone. One study involving 12,000 people suggested when lonely, someone’s risk of dementia rises by as much as 40%.
Social participation has a huge impact on wellbeing and quality of life of people with disabilities, through increased physical activity level and better mental health.
This study aimed to determine personal wellbeing and social participation levels across different physical disability types and levels of mobility2. They found mobility level, employment and personal wellbeing to be the most signficiant determinants of social participation in people with disabilities, and that having a neurological disability, being female, and being single negatively impacted participation.
Functional limitations bring barriers to social participation, and to improve participation for those with disabilities, the interplay of individual characteristics, environmental factors, and personal experiences that influence a person’s ability to engage meaningfully in various life activities needs to be investigated. Developing targeted interventions and support services to enhance participation and improve overall quality of life for individuals with disabilities requires a deep understanding of those factors to ensure everyone, regardless of their ability or disability, has the opportunity to lead a fulfilling and inclusive life.
Predictors of Social Participation Differ According to Rehab Pathway
One of the primary goals of rehabilitation is to help patients return to their previous lives and way of living; ensuring patients with brain injury get out into their communities and socialize is one of many objectives along the way, but few studies have looked at predictors of social participation following TBI rehabiitation.
The objective of this study3 was to describe social participation in ways that could be measured and examine if pre-injury, injury-related, or post-injury variables could predict outcome after TBI. Participants were admitted to an inpatient-outpatient rehabilitation pathway or an outpatient only rehabilitation pathway. Researchers examined a particular set of outcome data recorded at the start and end of rehabilitation, and additional data was collected from medical files.
Findings demonstrated that for the inpatient-outpatient sample, three variables (education, ability and adjustment scores at intake) predicted social particpation well; for the outpatient sample, 5 variables (pre-morbid hypertension, mental health, total indirect rehabilitation hours received, abilities and adjustment scores at rehabilitation intake) were predictive.
With this data, clinicians will be able to better identify patients more likely of showing poorer social participation at discharge and who may require additional or different interventions.
Coping and Social Participation Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
Statistics tell us 75%-85% of those who sustain a concussion will experence a strong recovery, if it is their first one. However, 15% of those who experince a concussion are at risk of developing persistent symptoms, which can negatively impact well-being, functioning and quality of life.
Reduced social participation and lower quality of life is a frequent complaint after mTB, and coping was found to be essential in order to decrease physical symptoms, improve psychological health and increase social participation. Stress and depression after mild post-TBI can impact return-to-work, and a greater percentage of individuals with mTBI report chronic pain as compared to individuals with more severe TBIs.
In a study4 investigating the association between coping and social participation according to anxiety, depression, and pain symptomatology, before and after an outpatient rehabilitation program, researchers found:
- a partial indirect link between coping, anxiety, and pain on social participation pre-rehabilitation,
- a significant partial relationship between the impact of pain on coping and social participation post-rehab, and
- a statistically significant mediating relationship with lower levels of coping linked to a higher self-reported level of psychological distress and pain, resulting in lower social participation post-rehab.
Paying close attention to the level of anxiety and perceived impact of pain during and after rehabilitation, and applying targeted interventions to increase coping may prove helpful to improve social participation outcome.
Brain Injury at Trial
Jury Impressions is a jury consulting company that provides quantitative and qualitative juror-based research. The team has a long record of helping trial lawyers obtain multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements in a wide variety of cases throughout the US.
They recruit jurors that match the demographics of where a case will be tried and have a large pool of participants from which they can create focus groups and construct mock juries. This allows them to answer questions like what will resonate with the jury or turn them off? What themes should I emphasize in my case? Which witnesses will the jury believe? Everything they learn allows them to provide valuable feedback and critical intel that only a juror-based system can provide.
The experts at Jury Impressions can help determine the best ways to present the injury’s impact on every aspect of a client’s life. Some of the most telling testimony comes from those who know the client best and who can testify about how much the injury has impaired the client’s ability to live a full life. Family and friends, coworkers, neighbors, and anyone who can talk about the client’s relationships, or how they got through their days before the injury, and compare that to how they handle stress now, what their interpersonal relationships are like, what activities they’ve stopped, and how their abilities and personality have changed since the accident are incredibly poignant, and help the brain injury lawyer paint a vivid picture of how someone else’s bad choice changed their client’s life forever.