Loneliness and Its Predictors in Rare Versus Common Chronic Illnesses
- PMID: 37845486
- DOI: 10.1007/s12529-023-10231-9
Loneliness and Its Predictors in Rare Versus Common Chronic Illnesses
Abstract
Background: 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.
Method: Individuals with a chronic illness (common or rare) completed an anonymous online survey (N = 952).
Results: 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).
Conclusion: 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.
Keywords: Chronic illness; Loneliness; Rare disorders; Self-efficacy; Social support; Stigma.
© 2023. International Society of Behavioral Medicine.
References
-
- Cacioppo JT, Cacioppo S. The growing problem of loneliness. The Lancet. 2018;391.
-
- Wilson C, Moulton B. Loneliness among older adults: a national survey of adults 45+. AARP The Magazine. 2010.
-
- Musich S, Wang SS, Hawkins K, Yeh CS. The impact of loneliness on quality of life and patient satisfaction among older, sicker adults. Gerontol Geriatr Med. 2015. https://doi.org/10.1177/2333721415582119 . - DOI - PubMed - PMC
-
- Donovan NJ, Blazer D. Social isolation and loneliness in older adults: review and commentary of a national academies report. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2020;28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2020.08.005 .
-
- Cacioppo JT, Hughes ME, Waite LJ, et al. Loneliness as a specific risk factor for depressive symptoms: cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. Psychol Aging. 2006;21. https://doi.org/10.1037/0882-7974.21.1.140 .
MeSH terms
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources