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. 2022 Nov-Dec:48:258-268.
doi: 10.1016/j.gerinurse.2022.10.010. Epub 2022 Oct 29.

Social withdrawal in Parkinson's disease: A scoping review

Soojung Ahn  1 , Kristen Springer  2 , Jessie S Gibson  3
Affiliations

Social withdrawal in Parkinson's disease: A scoping review

Soojung Ahn et al. Geriatr Nurs. 2022 Nov-Dec.

Abstract

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) can interfere with individuals' social functioning and lead to social withdrawal. Social withdrawal may result in negative outcomes for persons with PD and their caregivers, such as decreased quality of life. It is necessary to understand the nature of social withdrawal in PD in order to develop strategies to address this issue and prevent negative outcomes.

Objective: The purpose of this scoping review was to synthesize existing evidence regarding social withdrawal in PD.

Methods: We searched PubMed, CINAHL, and PsycINFO for studies of social withdrawal in individuals living with PD. Findings were organized according to study characteristics, measurement and description of social withdrawal, prevalence, associated factors, and interventions.

Results: Fifty-eight studies were included. We found that persons with PD reduced social activities voluntarily and involuntarily, and social withdrawal was related to various factors including physical, cognitive, and psychiatric symptoms and perceived stigma. Community-based social activity programs appeared to improve social participation. Few studies employed longitudinal methods or tested interventions to reduce social withdrawal.

Conclusions: Social withdrawal is associated with various negative outcomes in PD, though more research is needed to understand the true scope of this problem. Limitations in social withdrawal research include vague conceptualization and methodological limitations (i.e., instrumentation and study design), as well as a paucity of interventional studies. The findings of this review can be used to guide hypothesis generation and future study design, with the ultimate goal of mitigating social withdrawal and improving quality of life for people with PD.

Keywords: Neurodegenerative diseases; Parkinson disease; Review; Social behavior; Social isolation.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Flow Diagram of Search and Review Process
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
The Number of Studies, by Study Design and Factor Category, Associated with Social Withdrawal in Parkinson’s Disease
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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