The following research project is one that was produced in collaboration with Brooke Van Dam.

During childhood, especially in the adolescent phase, social interaction, as well as positive environments, become especially important. According to numerous studies, children who experience extreme or even minor cases of isolation would usually go on to develop depression, social anxiety, or even psychosis, as a result, during their adult years. The isolation that causes such things can be self-imposed or forced upon the child by outside parties. Based upon the degree of withdrawal shown from birth to adulthood, “modeling analyses found support for a model in which childhood social withdrawal predicted adolescent social impairment…”(Katz, 2015). In some accounts, forced isolation from your family or caretakers during development years later results in self-imposed isolative behaviors in adult life. Social skills, as well as cognitive development, are also shown to be delayed considerably.

There has also been strong evidence suggesting that symptoms similar to minor PTSD are present in those with more severe isolative experiences. The symptoms are similar in that they will have a much harder time forgetting traumatic memories and dealing with fear reactions. This occurs due to their neural development being hindered, resulting in “long-term potentiation” (Liu, 2015), which is the increase in longer-lasting signal transmission in neurons, typically for fear or stress reactions. This symptom is one of the factors that was found to create severe anxiety in patients tested in the studies mentioned. Another factor for the development of anxiety or other psychological disorders was found to be the presence of “warmth and positive remarks…” (Butler, 2019). This study analyzed the lives of 27 optimal candidates, reporting their chances of psychological relapse or chances of recovery based on the amount of affection or lack thereof from family members. The results from both of these studies showed that not only was isolation a factor, but the surroundings of a person even after reaching adulthood could affect their recovery from any mental issues that occurred.

Social and cognitive disorders from isolation could also be predicted by gender, as shown in the study “Understanding the link between social and emotional well-being and peer relations in early adolescence: Gender-specific predictors of peer acceptance.”(Oberle, 2010). In this study, the ideas of “positive psychology” are discussed— a movement in which only the positive features of childhood psychological development were studied. Because of this movement, many negative consequences were overlooked, like “interpersonal dysfunction also [being] linked to the course of depression.”(Katz, 2015), or the proven statements from “Are family warmth and positive remarks related to outcomes in psychosis? A systematic review.”(Butler, 2019) explaining that a lack of positive environment during childhood will most likely result in psychosis or similar disorders. Oberle then goes on to discuss these negative consequences in contrast to the “positive psychology” movement— a movement in which researchers became infatuated with strictly researching for positive outlooks from evidence— and how the differences in brain makeup due to gender affect these outcomes.

Annotated Bibliography

Liu, J., You, Q., Wei, M., Wang, Q., Luo, Z., Lin, S., . . . Gao, T. (2015). Social isolation during adolescence strengthens retention of fear memories and facilitates induction of late-phase long-term potentiation. Molecular Neurobiology, 52(3), 1421-1429. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12035-014-8917-0

https://search.proquest.com/docview/1717225090?pq-origsite=summon

“Social isolation during adolescence strengthens retention of fear memories and facilitates induction of late-phase long-term potentiation” presents an isolation experiment conducted on mice. The adult mice went under multiple tests including an open-field test, social interaction test, novelty suppressed-feeding test, and a fear conditioning test. The mice were C57BL/6 mice which are the standard laboratory mice. The results of this experiment proved that when an adolescent is isolated they tend to be less socially interactive. These adolescents also keep hold of troublesome memories which hinders their mental health.

This experiment offers an in-depth look into the mind of an adolescent. By using mice, there are no children hurt through this experiment. Mice are used for many psychological experiments as researchers can compare them to humans. The mice went through many tests and were put in an environment that resembled a real scenario for an adolescent. 

Katz, S. J., Conway, C. C., Hammen, C. L., Brennan, P. A., & Najman, J. M. (2011). Childhood social withdrawal, interpersonal impairment, and young adult depression: A mediational model. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 39(8), 1227-38. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10802-011-9537-z

https://search.proquest.com/docview/899344321?pq-origsite=summon

“Childhood social withdrawal, interpersonal impairment, and young adult depression: A mediational model.” explores the long-term effects of childhood isolative behaviors on the development of social anxiety and depression. The study followed 702 Australian people from birth to youth, then later to adulthood, recording their personal behaviors through adolescence. Social withdrawal, interpersonal skills, and depression were all examined as a result of each other, the first causing the next, and so on. It was then concluded that younger children who “liked to be alone” would have a higher chance of reporting “social functioning” issues during adolescence, and later after reaching adulthood would have a higher chance of developing depressive symptoms.

This article was chosen for its strong alignment with the subject of the effects of childhood isolation on adult life. It was used also for its “umbrella” sort of overlook to the subject, providing a good segue into the more specific details as discussed in the other articles and studies. The article’s wide range of topics makes it a perfect point to lead into fine details as well.

Oberle, E., Schonert-Reichl, K., & Thomson, K. C. (2010). Understanding the link between social and emotional well-being and peer relations in early adolescence: Gender-specific predictors of peer acceptance. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 39(11), 1330-42. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10964-009-9486-9

https://search.proquest.com/docview/755999938?pq-origsite=summon

In “Understanding the link between social and emotional well-being and peer relations in early adolescence: Gender-specific predictors of peer acceptance.”, the differences between 4th and 5th-grade children regarding their social well-being and how their relationships affect them based on gender are explored. The analysis reveals gender-specific patterns in the chances of isolation, development of anxiety, and general relational well-being. Females were shown to have higher tendencies for optimism and empathy, while males had lower tendencies for both but a lower risk of anxiety symptoms as a result of low peer-acceptance. 

Because of these findings, this study was a good fit for evidence regarding outside influences on both internal and external isolation. Peer-acceptance during childhood was found to be a great factor in the chances of a child developing more severe anxiety symptoms later in life, causing them to either be more socially inclined or to pull away more from society.

Butler, R., Berry, K., Varese, F., & Bucci, S. (2019). Are family warmth and positive remarks related to outcomes in psychosis? A systematic review. Psychological Medicine, 49(8), 1250-1265. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0033291718003768

https://search.proquest.com/docview/2224251494?pq-origsite=summon

“Are family warmth and positive remarks related to outcomes in psychosis? A systematic review.”, a study of 27 eligible psychosis patients, analyses the effects that outsiders, normally family members, have on their mental well-being. It was found that the presence or lack thereof of positive emotional environments have a strong effect on both the outcome of an adolescent’s developed mental state and also on the rate of recovery during treatment for psychosis. A child who was neglected or mistreated by their family, for example, may cause the child to be more likely to develop depression or social anxiety than a child who received praise and support from their family.

This study was relevant to the topic of isolation and mental illness because it provides in-depth analyses of actual psychosis patients and how their outside environment affects them. It also provides an outlook for social well-being in addition to the outlook for mental illnesses, the study finding that those who receive positive remarks and are surrounded by a ‘warm’ environment will have a higher chance of experiencing life satisfaction. Using this study, the difference between self-induced isolation and outsider-induced could be further differentiated.