Some of the subjects below were much better socially connected than a shunned person from a jehovah's witness culture. And yet, studies show the tremendous difficulties that even a mildly socially isolated person has.
The Wt. would like us to believe that the reason shunned people have problems is because JEHOVAH has withdrawn his spirit. This is pure evil because it is the destructive policy of robbing members of their familial and social contacts that is the culprit.
The following three brief examples show how the practice of shunning predisposes people to being put at risk of a variety of hardships.
of
Loneliness, lack of emotional support and lack of companionship or social support can leave elderly men and women vulnerable to heart problems, according to new research.
Dara Sorkin, a PhD candidate of the , , and colleagues found that for every unit increase in loneliness as measured among older adults in their study, there was a threefold increase in the odds of being diagnosed with a heart condition. Their findings were published in the December 2002 issue of the journal Annals of Behavioral Medicine
The researchers used similar information to calculate each adult's perceived emotional support and social support or companionship. Every unit increase in perceived emotional support and companionship was associated with a 97% and 91% decrease, respectively, in the odds of having a heart condition.
Judy Van Wyk,
Karen A. Mason,
This is a study of victimization by consumer fraud. We investigate factors that may make some people more vulnerable to victimization by consumer fraud than others. Theories of social isolation suggest that those who are more isolated from society are more vulnerable to crimes in general because they lack the basic knowledge necessary to avoid victimization. They are less likely to receive information about avoidance. Additionally, those who are socially isolated might not know to whom they can and should report victimization. Consequently, they are less likely to report victimization when it does occur. Social isolation may affect the vulnerability and reporting behaviors for consumer fraud victims. These assumptions are tested analyzing data from a representative sample of 400 residents via telephone interviews.
DESCENDING CIRCLES
by
Timothy Sheard 1996
CASE STUDY #12 - MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT
IN A SUDDEN CHOICE SCENARIO
The last case study we will report is that of a motor vehicle accident (MVA) involving a 51-year old male driving a passenger car late at night on a wet country road. The subject had a long history of depression (see appendix A, " DIARY OF A DEPRESSED SUBJECT ). He was being treated with any-depressant medication and seeing a psychiatrist. While it is true that at the time of the accident the subject was showing signs of improved emotional functioning, he nonetheless carried a history of despondency into the critical moments that led to his death.
As we found in the preceding eleven case studies, the subject scored below .40 on the DSI-HSC Scale of Happiness and Social Integration, as developed by Saleh and Lombardo (See Table # 6, " COMPARISON OF SUBJECTS LIVING ACCIDENT-FREE AND SUBJECTS WHO DIED BY ACCIDENT ").
As we explained in PART I, A THEORETICAL MODEL LINKING DEPRESSION AND ACCIDENTAL DEATH, subjects who score low on the DSI-HSC Scale have a statistically significantly increased risk of death by "accident." Scores of .18-.37, which put them well into the Despair & Social Isolation range, are typical of this group, while those subjects who score high in Happiness and Social Cohesion (HSC) have a low probability of accidental death or injury.
Case #12 is typical of this group. The subject has a mean DSI score of .21, one of the lowest in the study. We found written evidence of subjective despair in the subject's diary, and anecdotal evidence of a long history of depression in letters and other evidence from family members(See Appendix B, " LETTERS FROM A DAUGHTER ,".
It is clear that this individual, like all those with low scores, lack a strong social cohesive bond. This subject's only network consisted of students and immediate family. Other than these socially mandated ties, the subject had very little Social Cohesion, and, hence, was SOCIALLY ISOLATED.
The isolation of this subject fed the feelings of despair and low self esteem, as evidenced in the diary notes, and confirmed by the psychiatrist's note to the coroner, (See " PSYCHIATRIST MEMO ," same appendix).
In subjects such as these, a positive feedback loop occurs, whereby depression reinforced isolation, isolation reinforces depression, and the two drive the individual down in descending circles of despair. -
I say, like the tobacco companies, the WT should pay for putting innocent people at such terrible risk!
Edited by - Perry on 17 January 2003 10:41:57
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