Loneliness in people with health concerns
People with disabilities and chronic health challenges face an array of social and structural barriers to social inclusion and participation. Keep scrolling to read key resources on loneliness among people with disabilities.
Marziali et al. (2020)
Cross-Sectional Study
Correlates of social isolation among people living with HIV in British Columbia, Canada
Primary finding: Through latent class analysis, three groups were identified: Socially Connected (SC) (n = 364, 37%), Minimally Isolated (MI) (n = 540, 54%) and Socially Isolated (SI) (n = 92, 9%). Correlates of the SI and MI classes, determined through multivariable multinomial regression using the SC class as a reference, include: recent violence (aOR 1.61, 95%CI 1.28-2.02 [MI vs. SC]; aOR 2.04, 95%CI 1.41-2.96 [SI vs. SC]) and a mental health diagnosis (aOR 1.50, 95% CI 1.31-1.72 [MI vs. SC]; aOR 1.43, 95%CI 1.11-1.83 [SI vs. SC]). Women (aOR 0.47; 95%CI 0.32-0.68 [SI vs. SC]), individuals of Indigenous ancestry (aOR 0.59; 95%CI 0.40-0.87 [SI vs. SC]) and people identifying as gay or lesbian (aOR 0.37; 95%CI 0.26-0.52 [SI vs. SC]) were less likely to experience isolation. These findings highlight the importance of supporting communities fostering connectedness and identifies populations susceptible to isolation.
Petitte et al. (2015)
Systematic Review
A Systematic Review of Loneliness and Common Chronic Physical Conditions in Adults
Primary finding: Loneliness is a significant biopsychosocial stressor that is prevalent in adults with heart disease, hypertension, stroke, and lung disease. The relationships among loneliness, obesity, and metabolic disorders are understudied but current research indicates that loneliness is associated with obesity and with psychological stress in obese persons. Limited interventions have demonstrated long-term effectiveness for reducing loneliness in adults with these same chronic conditions. Future longitudinal randomized trials that enhance knowledge of how diminishing loneliness can lead to improved health outcomes in persons with common chronic conditions would continue to build evidence to support the translation of findings to recommendations for clinical care.
Maes (2017)
Literature Review and Meta Analysis
Loneliness in Children and Adolescents With Chronic Physical Conditions: A Meta-Analysis
Primary finding: Across 43 studies and 69 samples, loneliness was associated with chronic health conditions in children and adolescents.
Kwan (2020)
Literature Review
Effects of Social Isolation and Loneliness in Children with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities: A Scoping Review
Primary finding: This review of 12 studies showed that loneliness among children with neurodevelopmental disabilities was associated with negative consequences on mental health, behaviour, and psychosocial/emotional development, with a likely long-term impact in adulthood. Lack of research in this area suggests that loneliness is not yet considered a problem in children with neurodevelopmental disabilities. More studies are warranted using prospective designs and a larger sample size with a focus on the dynamic aspect of loneliness development.
Pahl et al. (2021)
Literature Review
Social isolation and connection in adolescents with cancer and survivors of childhood cancer: A systematic review
Primary finding: Based on 43 studies, the authors conclude that adolescent cancer patients and survivors report levels of social connectedness consistent with healthy adolescent population norms. The risk and protective factors identified in this review may help serve as important indicators for psychosocial screening and interventions.