title: The impact and measurement of social dysfunction in late-life depression: an evaluation of current methods with a focus on wearable technology.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Depression is known to negatively impact social functioning, with patients commonly reporting difficulties maintaining social relationships. Moreover, a large body of evidence suggests poor social functioning is not only present in depression but that social functioning is an important factor in illness course and outcome. In addition, good social relationships can play a protective role against the onset of depressive symptoms, particularly in late-life depression. However, the majority of research in this area has employed self-report measures of social function. This approach is problematic, as due to their reliance on memory, such measures are prone to error from the neurocognitive impairments of depression, as well as mood-congruent biases.
  
  
  METHODS
  Narrative review based on searches of the Web of Science and PubMed database(s) from the start of the databases, until the end of 2015.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The present review provides an overview of the literature on social functioning in (late-life) depression and discusses the potential for new technologies to improve the measurement of social function in depressed older adults. In particular, the use of wearable technology to collect direct, objective measures of social activity, such as physical activity and speech, is considered.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In order to develop a greater understanding of social functioning in late-life depression, future research should include the development and validation of more direct, objective measures in conjunction with subjective self-report measures. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hodgetts
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.|Newcastle University, Institute for Ageing, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gallagher
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stow
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
authors.forename: I Nicol
authors.initials: IN
authors.lastname: Ferrier
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: John T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: O'Brien
mesh_terms: D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012919:Social Behavior; D000076251:Wearable Electronic Devices
keywords: late-life depression; self-report; social function; wearable technology