Psychosocial Aspects and Mental Status of Social Isolation

Social isolation is a condition where an individual experiences a decline or even completely unable to interact with other people around him. Patients may feel rejected, not accepted, lonely, and unable to establish meaningful relationships with others (Keliat, 2011).

Social isolation is a state of loneliness experienced by someone because others say negative and threatening attitudes. (Towsend, 1998 in Kusumawati and Hartono, 2011).

Often people who experience social isolation will also experience interference / barriers to verbal communication that is decreased, slowing, or lack of ability to receive, process messages (stimulus) received, and are unable to provide an appropriate response due to damage to the system in the brain.

Coping mechanism is an effort directed at managing stress, including efforts to solve problems directly and defense mechanisms used to protect themselves (Stuart, 2006).

The source of coping is an evaluation of coping choices in one's strategy. Coping strategies used include involvement in broader relationships such as in family and friends, relationships with pets, using creativity to express interpersonal stress such as art, music, or writing (Stuart, 2006).

Signs and symptoms of social isolation according to Direja (2011) include:

• Less spontaneous
• Apathetic or indifferent to the environment
• Facial expression is less radiant
• Do not take care of themselves and do not pay attention to personal hygiene
• There is no / less aware of verbal communication
• Isolate
• Not aware / less aware of the surrounding environment
• Decreased activity
• Lack of energy
• Inferiority
• Food and drink intake is disrupted

Psychosocial Aspects according to Hartono (2010):

1. Genogram - Is a genetic search to find the cause of mental disorders with three generations.
2. Self-concept - Deterioration of will and emotional shallowness regarding the patient will affect the patient's self-concept.
3. Social relationships - Clients tend to withdraw from the social environment, like daydreaming, and remain silent.
4. Spiritual - Spiritual activity decreases with the patient's decline.

Mental Status according to Hartono (2010):

1. Client talks, including; low pitch, slow voice, lack of speech, apathy.
2. Self appearance, including; the patient looks lethargic, lackluster, disheveled hair.
3. Motor activities, including; the activities carried out are not varied, the tendency is to maintain in one position.
4. Emotions, including; superficial emotions (easily offended)
5. Affects, including; shallow, no facial expression.
6. Interactions during the interview, including; tend to be uncooperative, lack eye contact, don't want to stare at the other person, be quiet.
7. Perception, including; no hallucinations or delusions
8. The thought process, including; thought process disorders are rarely found.
9. Awareness, including; can change, not according to reality.
10. Memory; no specific disorders were found, orientation of place, time and person.
11. The ability to assess, can be either; cannot make decisions, cannot act in a situation, always gives reasons even if reasons are unclear or incorrect.
12. Self-examination; nothing is typical.

6 Nursing Interventions for Social Isolation