Loneliness In Persons Research Articles

The prevalence and experience of loneliness in persons with cognitive impairment on an Inpatient Geriatric Unit

AbstractBackgroundOlder adults who experience loneliness are at a heightened risk for mortality. There are two distinct types of loneliness: social, in which social interactions and networks are reduced, as can result from social isolation and lack of social integration; and emotional, in which a meaningful attachment bond with another is absent. We examined the prevalence and experience of loneliness in cognitively impaired older adults receiving treatment in a mental healthcare facility.MethodFourteen participants with mild cognitive impairment or mild/moderate dementia (mean MoCA 17, range 12‐22; mean age 76, range 65‐92) completed a demographic survey, DeJong Gierveld 6‐Item Loneliness Scale, Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and a semi‐structured interview. Basic thematic analysis was used to extract major themes from the interview data. Differences in the prevalence of loneliness between low (MOCA 18 or greater) and high (MOCA 17 or less) cognitive impairment groups and correlations between cognitive impairment and loneliness were examined.ResultParticipants experienced moderate or severe loneliness (86%), emotional (79%) and social (57%) loneliness. Themes emerging from interviews included limited social networks, lack of connection or social engagement, loss of role, need for meaningful activities, missing families, dependency, and stigma. No significant differences were found in loneliness between low vs. high cognitive impairment groups. Correlational analysis suggested a negative association between social loneliness and cognitive impairment, with individuals with lower cognitive impairment scoring higher on social loneliness (r = , p = ).ConclusionLoneliness is prevalent and multifactorial in individuals with cognitive impairment receiving care in a mental health care facility.

Loneliness and Its Predictors in Rare Versus Common Chronic Illnesses.

Loneliness is a growing public health concern associated with substantial negative mental and physical health outcomes. Loneliness is especially relevant for individuals with a chronic illness, perhaps more so if their illness is rare. Little is known about the psychosocial experience of individuals with a rare chronic illness, and whether and how it may differ from the experience of individuals with common chronic illnesses. We compared the magnitude of loneliness in persons with a rare or common chronic illness and examined theoretically guided predictors of loneliness as follows: stigma, illness intrusiveness, social comparison, social support, support from healthcare providers, and self-efficacy. Individuals with a chronic illness (common or rare) completed an anonymous online survey (N = 952). Individuals with common chronic illnesses were as lonely as those with a rare chronic illness. Loneliness in both groups was higher than that in population norms. Regression analyses reveal that independent of other predictors, loneliness was especially high among people who feel stigmatized by others, those who have less social support available, and people whose functioning is more disrupted by their illness (all p values < 0.01). The similarity of loneliness in these groups reinforces the value of further systematic research to identify the needs of individuals with any type of chronic illness. Study findings highlight the importance of examining internalized stigma and social support as possible targets of intervention to reduce loneliness among individuals with a chronic illness, recognizing some of the unique features and challenges of their disorders, whether common or rare.

The Effect of Self-Esteem on Loneliness in Individuals With Schizophrenia

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of self-esteem on loneliness in persons with schizophrenia. This study was conducted between August 2020 and August 2021 at a community mental health center affiliated with a research and training hospital in Turkey. This was a cross-sectional study that included 100 individuals with schizophrenia. A Descriptive Characteristics Form (DCF), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), and the University of California Los Angeles Loneliness Scale (UCLA-LS) were used for data collection. The individuals' total mean scores were 2.47 ± 1.24 for RSES and 56.42 ± 10.00 for UCLA-LS. A moderate negative correlation was found between these scores ( r = −0.526, P &lt; 0.01). The results revealed that the persons with schizophrenia had a moderate level of self-esteem and a high level of loneliness, possibly indicating that as self-esteem increases, loneliness levels may decrease. [ Psychiatr Ann . 2023;53(9):419–424.]

Implementing Active Assisted Living Technology in the Long-term Care of People Living With Dementia to Address Loneliness: European Survey.

In the lives of people with dementia, loneliness is an important issue with psychological and physical consequences. Active assisted living (AAL) technology has been gaining visibility in the care of persons living with dementia, including addressing loneliness. However, to the best of our knowledge, there is a lack of evidence concerning the factors influencing the implementation of AAL technology within the context of dementia, loneliness, and long-term care (LTC). We aimed to identify the familiarity with AAL technology that is promising for addressing loneliness in persons living with dementia in LTC in Europe and the factors influencing AAL technology implementation. A web-based survey was developed based on findings from our previous literature review. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research guided the development and analysis of the survey. Participants included 24 representatives of Alzheimer Europe member associations from 15 European countries. The data were analyzed using basic statistical methods (descriptive statistics). The baby seal robot Paro was reported to be the most familiar AAL technology by 19 of 24 participants addressing loneliness in people with dementia living in LTC. Participants from Norway (n=2) reported familiarity with 14 AAL technologies, and participants from Serbia (n=1) reported zero familiarity. It seems that countries that invest less in LTC facilities are familiar with fewer AAL technologies. At the same time, these countries report a more positive attitude toward AAL technology, express a higher need for it, and see more advantages than disadvantages than those countries that invest more in LTC. However, a country's investment in LTC facilities does not seem to be linked to other implementation aspects such as costs, planning, and the impact of infrastructure. Implementation of AAL technology to address loneliness in dementia seems to be linked to familiarity with the technology in a country as well as national investment in LTC facilities. This survey confirms the literature on higher investment countries' critical stance in regard to AAL technology implementation to address loneliness in persons living with dementia living in LTC. Further research is needed to clarify the potential reasons why familiarity with more AAL technology does not seem to be directly linked with acceptance, positive attitude, or satisfaction with AAL technology addressing loneliness in persons living with dementia.

Pathways to loneliness: a mediation analysis investigating the social gradient of loneliness in persons with disabilities in Switzerland

BackgroundThe experience of loneliness can have drastic consequences for health and quality of life. Given that loneliness is highly prevalent in persons with physical disabilities and that loneliness more profoundly affects persons of low socioeconomic status, more evidence is required in order to understand the mechanisms determining loneliness in this population. The objective of this study is therefore to investigate the potential pathways through which socioeconomic status influences loneliness in persons with spinal cord injury.MethodsMediation analysis utilising structural equation models and bias corrected and accelerated confidence intervals were used in order to test the mediation effects of health status, functioning, participation, social support and self-efficacy on the association between socioeconomic status and loneliness in persons with spinal cord injury. A latent construct was created for socioeconomic status with the indicators education, household income, financial hardship, subjective social status and engagement in paid work.ResultsThis study found evidence to support the mediating role of psychosocial resources and of secondary health conditions in the association between socioeconomic status and loneliness. The study demonstrated robust associations between socioeconomic status and all potential mediators, whereby higher socioeconomic status was associated with better health, participation and psychosocial resources, however, not all potential mediators were associated with loneliness. The serial mediation model explained the interplay between socioeconomic status, mediators on different levels, and loneliness. For example, emotional support and self-efficacy were both positively associated with fewer restrictions to participation (0.08 (CI: 0.05, 0.12); 0.29 (CI: 0.24, 0.36) respectively), and fewer restrictions to participation were found to be a result of improved functional independence and fewer secondary health conditions (0.23 (CI: 0.15, 0.39); − 0.29 (CI: − 0.36, − 0.20) respectively).ConclusionsOur findings highlight the vulnerability of persons with low socioeconomic status to loneliness in persons with spinal cord injury and identified potential mediating factors, such as health, functioning, participation and psychosocial resources, in the association between socioeconomic status and loneliness. This population-based evidence suggests potential targets of interventions on the pathway to loneliness, through which socioeconomic status influences loneliness. The complexity of the model shows the need for comprehensive interprofessional rehabilitation to identify and support people with lower socioeconomic status and concomitant risk factors for loneliness.

Who is at Risk of Loneliness? A Cross-sectional Recursive Partitioning Approach in a Population-based Cohort of Persons With Spinal Cord Injury

To develop a more thorough understanding of the risk factors for loneliness in persons with a physical impairment, using a population-based sample of persons with spinal cord injury (SCI), based on regression modeling and a recursive partitioning approach. Cross-sectional, observational cohort. Community, Switzerland. Community-dwelling persons with spinal cord injury (N=1283) 16 years or older. Not applicable. Loneliness was assessed using a modified version of the UCLA Three-Item Loneliness Scale. Those with the most disadvantaged socioeconomic characteristics in terms of education, income, subjective social position, employment status, and financial hardship demonstrated the highest risk for loneliness. Of the sociodemographic characteristics, only age had an association with loneliness, whereby persons aged 31-45 had the highest propensity for experiencing loneliness. We also saw that those with higher lesion levels and less functional independence were associated with higher levels of loneliness. In conditional inference tree analysis subjective social position, financial hardship, and functional independence had the highest discriminative power, with nationality and living arrangement having a less important role. Our findings highlight the vulnerability of persons with SCI with unfavorable socioeconomic status to loneliness. Furthermore, our findings show that persons who are more constrained because of functional limitations may face restrictions to social participation and therefore be at a higher risk of loneliness. This population-based evidence contributes to the better targeting of services aimed at alleviating loneliness for persons with a lower socioeconomic position and those with more functional limitations in everyday life.

Relationship between Loneliness and Self-Efficacy Among Persons with Schizophrenia in Indonesia

Background: Loneliness in persons with schizophrenia have shown associate with depression and promotes suicide among persons with schizophrenia. Individual and environmental factors are also recognized as related factors. The environmental factors are lack of social scope and support. While one of the individual factors is self-efficacy. Objective: To determine the level of loneliness among persons with schizophrenia in Indonesia, and to evaluate the relationship of loneliness with sociodemographic characteristics and clinical factors, and to assess the modifying effects of self-efficacy. Methods: This study was a correlational study with 132 respondents. Correlation analyses were performed to examine the relationship between loneliness and self-efficacy using The UCLA Loneliness Scale and General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE) questionnaire to collect the data. Results: This study found that the mean of loneliness among persons with schizophrenia score was 46.05 (SD = 7.16). There were no relationships between several sociodemographic characteristics and clinical factors to loneliness, however, there was a negative correlation between self-efficacy and loneliness among persons with schizophrenia (ρ = -0.180, p-value = 0.04). Conclusion: There was a correlation between self-efficacy and loneliness among persons with schizophrenia. Therefore, it is recommended that mental health professionals provide sources of self-efficacy to minimize loneliness in this population. Keywords: loneliness; self-efficacy; schizophrenia, mental illness

Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults: Review and Commentary of a National Academies Report

The authors of this review both served on the National Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine Committee that produced the report, "Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults: Opportunities for the Health Care System." In 2018, the AARP Foundation commissioned the National Academies to establish a committee to research and develop a report on social isolation and loneliness in persons 50 years of age and older. Emphasis was placed upon the role of the healthcare system in addressing this fundamental public health problem. The committee released the report in February 2020 as the Corona Virus Disease 2019 pandemic was beginning to spread to North America. In this review, the authors share central findings and conclusions from the report as well as how these findings may be relevant to the care and well-being of older adults during this historic pandemic. The health protective benefits of social distancing must be balanced by the essential need for sustaining social relationships.

Correlates of loneliness among persons with psychotic disorders

Persons diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs) often experience pervasive feelings of loneliness, which are considered a significant barrier to treatment and recovery. As impaired social cognition may contribute to increased loneliness and less skillful social interactions, this study examines the relationships between loneliness and measures of social cognition and functional outcome from the Social Cognition Psychometric Evaluation (SCOPE) study. This study evaluated the relationship between loneliness, social cognitive ability, and social functioning in the context of a large-scale psychometric investigation. We also explored the associations of select demographic characteristics and clinical variables on the endorsement of loneliness in persons diagnosed with a psychotic disorder. Seventy-four stable outpatients with SSDs and 58 healthy controls completed the UCLA Loneliness Scale in addition to the standard SCOPE battery. Our findings support prior research indicating persons diagnosed with a psychotic disorder experience greater levels of loneliness than normative groups. However, the results also indicate that self-reported loneliness is not associated with social cognitive abilities or functional outcome in psychosis. Regression analyses indicate that roughly half the variance in loneliness endorsed by persons with SSDs is accounted for by clinical variables, with loneliness most strongly associated with guilt and self-esteem. These findings suggest that treatments aiming to reduce perceived social isolation in psychosis should incorporate techniques to bolster selfesteem, reduce guilt, and improve depressive symptoms.

Loneliness in Multiple Sclerosis: Possible Antecedents and Correlates.

The prevalence and possible antecedents and correlates of loneliness in multiple sclerosis (MS) was examined. Cross-sectional, comparative study of MS (n = 63) and healthy adults (n = 21). Data were collected using self-reports of loneliness and antecedents and correlates and analyzed using inferential statistics. Those with MS had significantly higher loneliness scores than healthy adults (p < .05), and this was explained by employment status. Possible antecedents included marital status (p < .05), upper extremity function (r= -.28, p < .03), social disability frequency (r= -.49, p < .00), social disability limitations (r= -.38, p < .00), and personal disability limitations (r= -.29, p < .03). Social disability frequency (beta = -.41, p < .001) and marital status (beta = -.23, p < .046) accounted for 25% of the variance in loneliness scores. Possible correlates included depression (r= .49, p < .00), cognitive fatigue (r= .34, p < .01), psychosocial fatigue (r= .30, p < .02), and psychological quality of life (r= .44, p < .00). We provide evidence of loneliness in persons with MS, and this is associated with possible antecedents (e.g., marital status and disability limitations) and correlates (e.g., depression and fatigue). Loneliness should be recognized clinically as an important concomitant of MS.

Being alone together: A longitudinal dyadic analysis on the impact of loneliness and relationship quality on well-being in couples coping with disability

Introduction Persons with physical disabilities and their caregiving partners are at an increased risk of experiencing reduced well-being. One potential explanation for this trend may be the potentially harmful effects of loneliness and poor relationship quality, which this population is frequently exposed to. Both loneliness and poor relationship quality have been found to elicit a stress response, which is detrimental for psychosomatic health and well-being. To date, little is known about how the perceptions of loneliness and relationship quality within couples coping with a disability affect well-being, furthermore the directionality of effect is not well understood. Methods In this study, we investigate the actor and partner effects, and the reciprocal effects of loneliness and relationship quality on well-being. The analyses are based on longitudinal dyadic data from the pro-WELL study (n = 246), a Swiss community survey of persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) and their partners. Data was collected over a 12-month period using telephone interviews and questionnaires. We employed mixed effects modelling to explore actor and partner effects and used cross-lagged path analysis to explore reciprocal effects. Both of these analyses were stratified by role, i.e. persons with SCI and caregiving partners. Results We found loneliness to be more prevalent in persons with SCI compared to their caregiving partners. In caregiving partners, we found significant actor effects of loneliness (β=−0.20; CI: −0.31, −0.10) and relationship quality (β=0.15; CI: 0.04, 0.26) on well-being, and significant partner effects of relationship quality on well-being (β=0.21; CI: 0.10, 0.32). In persons with SCI, only the actor effect of loneliness was significant (β=−0.30; CI: −0.41, −0.18). Over time, loneliness demonstrated reciprocal associations with well-being, as did relationship quality in caregiving partners, indicating a possible cycle of positive development between reducing loneliness, improving relationship quality and enhancing well-being. Conclusions The findings of our study highlight the high prevalence of loneliness in persons with SCI and the importance of reducing loneliness and strengthening relationship quality in order to improve well-being in partnerships of persons coping with disability. It may also inform the trial and evaluation of targeted interventions, which promote qualitative aspects of social relationships in order to enhance well-being.

Loneliness and Social Support in Adolescent Boys with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in a Special Education Setting

Social difficulties have been suggested to exacerbate the risk of loneliness. The social difficulties in social relations often reported for adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) could be a risk for increased loneliness in adolescents with ADHD. However, current studies of the risk of loneliness in persons with ADHD are limited and their results are mixed. Especially the adolescent age group is poorly investigated and has not been studied as a separate group. In this study we investigate the experience of loneliness and social support in adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in a special educational setting. Twenty-five adolescent boys with clinically diagnosed ADHD filled out self-report measures of loneliness, difficulties in making friends, and social support. The boys with ADHD were compared with 199 adolescent boys from regular schools. No difference in the degree of loneliness was found even if more adolescents with ADHD reported difficulties in making friends. These difficulties were related to loneliness in the control group, but not in the ADHD group. Social support from classmates and peers reduced the degree of loneliness in the ADHD group. Adolescent boys with ADHD in a special educational setting do not seem to be at a higher risk of loneliness in adolescence.