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Loneliness and Its Predictors in Rare Versus Common Chronic Illnesses

  • Special Issue: Social Isolation and Loneliness in Acute and Chronic Illness
  • Published:
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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.

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Data Availability

Data is available upon written request to the corresponding author.

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Acknowledgements

Jennifer Nicoloro-SantaBarbara received support from Harvard Medical School’s Kaplen Fellowship in Depression during preparation of this article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Jennifer Nicoloro-SantaBarbara

  2. Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Jennifer Nicoloro-SantaBarbara

  3. Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-2500, USA

    Marci Lobel

  4. Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, USA

    Marci Lobel

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Correspondence to Jennifer Nicoloro-SantaBarbara.

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Nicoloro-SantaBarbara, J., Lobel, M. Loneliness and Its Predictors in Rare Versus Common Chronic Illnesses. Int.J. Behav. Med. 31, 422–432 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-023-10231-9

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