Depression, Isolation, and Social Connectivity Online (DISCO)

社交孤立是导致终生严重抑郁症的一个风险因素。新冠肺炎大流行已经 对社交网络造成了前所未有的破坏，其结果既是疾病本身，也是 遏制它所需的措施。脆弱和服务不足的社区在#年受到特别影响 这两个方面，新冠肺炎的感染率以及更大的经济和社会影响 关闭和限制。因此，在美国，主要抑郁症状的比率也就不足为奇了 各国已接近大流行前观察到的水平的3至4倍。开始解决增长问题 要了解社会脱节及其对抑郁的贡献，需要更好地理解社会的各个方面 受疫情破坏最严重的网络，以及它们与抑郁症的关系，特别是在 弱势群体。确定干预目标还需要了解在线社交 行为可能会弥补或加剧社会脱节的影响。此外，有必要 了解社区中的外部因素(如遏制政策)如何有助于或缓和 社会脱节和抑郁。为了解决这些关键问题，这项研究将使用Covid的数据 各州项目，这是一项由50个州组成的调查，自2020年4月以来大约每8周进行一次，目前已登记 超过260,000名独特的个人，包括来自年收入低于50,000美元的家庭的125,000人。 除了抑郁症状，这项调查还询问了有关社交网络和社会支持的详细问题， 以及在线活动、新冠肺炎的影响和一系列其他话题。这项研究的首要目标是 在对各个子组的有效分析中，表征特定方面之间的关系 社交网络和抑郁情绪，并找出可能缓和这些影响的特征。在Aim 2中，使用 这项研究是一项创新的浏览器扩展，将对1200名完成 调查。在目标3中，这项研究将把调查数据与州和人口普查地区一级的纵向数据结合起来 关于大流行控制政策、流动性以及新冠肺炎病例和死亡。后两个目标将 对在线行为和外部因素如何影响社交网络和适度 他们与抑郁症的关系。这项研究将建立在过去两年高效合作的基础上 在专门研究情绪障碍的信息学方法的PI和东北PI之间， 具有大规模调查和社会网络调查专家的计算社会科学家。这个 在调查方面与私人投资总监密切合作的顾问，带来了调查设计和调查方面的额外专业知识 分析、调查时间序列数据，包括流动数据和政策分析。这项研究将确定 解决社会脱节及其对抑郁症影响的干预措施的目标，特别是 为弱势群体提供关键的指导，说明应将此类干预措施集中在哪里。

Social isolation represents a risk factor for major depression across the lifespan. The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to unprecedented disruption in social networks, as a result both of the disease itself and the measures required to contain it. Vulnerable and underserved communities have been particularly impacted in both of these regards, with greater rates of COVID-19 infection as well as greater economic and social impact of closures and restrictions. It is not surprising, then, that rates of major depressive symptoms in the United States have approached levels 3 to 4 times those observed before the pandemic. Beginning to address the rise of social disconnection and its contribution to depression requires a better understanding of the aspects of social networks most disrupted by the pandemic, and how they relate to depression, especially among individuals in vulnerable communities. Identifying targets for intervention also requires understanding how online social behavior may compensate for, or exacerbate, effects of social disconnection. Furthermore, it is necessary to understand how external factors in a community such as containment policies may contribute to or moderate social disconnection and depression. To address these critical questions, this study will use data from the Covid States Project, a 50-state survey conducted approximately every 8 weeks since April 2020, which has enrolled more than 260,000 unique individuals, including 125,000 from households earning less than $50,000 per year. Beyond symptoms of depression, the survey asks detailed questions about social networks and social support, as well as online activity, impact of COVID-19, and a range of other topics. The first aim of the study will characterize, in well-powered analysis of individual subgroups, the relationship between specific aspects of social networks and depressed mood, and identify features that may moderate these effects. In aim 2, using an innovative browser extension, the study will characterize online behavior among 1200 individuals completing the survey. In aim 3, the study will integrate survey data with longitudinal data at the state and census tract level regarding pandemic containment policies, mobility, and COVID-19 cases and death. These latter two aims will provide a novel understanding of how online behavior, and external factors, impact social networks and moderate their relationship with depression. The study will build on a highly productive collaboration for the past 2 years between the PI, with expertise in informatics methods for studying mood disorders, and the Northeastern PI, a computational social scientist with expert in large-scale surveys and investigation of social networks. The consultants, who have worked closely with the PIs on the survey, bring additional expertise in survey design and analysis, investigation of time series data including mobility data, and policy analysis. The study will identify targets for interventions to address social disconnection and its impact on depression, particularly among vulnerable populations, providing critical guidance regarding where to focus such interventions.