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Feelings of loneliness among adults with mental disorder

Abstract

Purpose  

Loneliness can affect people at any time and for some it can be an overwhelming feeling leading to negative thoughts and feelings.
The current study, based on the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey in England, 2007, quantified the association of loneliness
with a range of specific mental disorders and tested whether the relationship was influenced by formal and informal social
participation and perceived social support.

Methods  

Using a random probability sample design, 7,461 adults were interviewed in a cross-sectional national survey in England in
2007. Common Mental Disorders were assessed using the revised Clinical Interview Schedule; the diagnosis of psychosis was
based on the administration of the Schedules of the Clinical Assessment of Neuropsychiatry, while loneliness was derived from
an item in the Social Functioning Questionnaire.

Results  

Feelings of loneliness were more prevalent in women (OR = 1.34, 95 % CI 1.20–1.50, P < 0.001) as well as in those who were single (OR = 2.24, 95 % CI 1.96–2.55, P < 0.001), widowed, divorced or separated (OR = 2.78, 95 % CI 2.38–3.23, P < 0.001), economically inactive (OR = 1.24, 95 % CI 1.11–1.44, P = 0.007), living in rented accommodation (OR = 1.73, 95 % CI 1.53–1.95, P < 0.001) or in debt (OR = 2.47, 95 % CI 2.07–1.50, P < 0.001). Loneliness was associated with all mental disorders, especially depression (OR = 10.85, 95 % CI 7.41–15.94, P < 0.001), phobia (OR = 11.66, 95 % CI 7.01–19.39, P < 0.001) and OCD (OR = 9.78, 95 % CI 5.68–16.86, P < 0.001). Inserting measures of formal and informal social participation and perceived social support into the logistic regression
models did significantly reduce these odds ratios.

Conclusion  

Increasing social support and opportunities for social interaction may be less beneficial than other strategies emphasising
the importance of addressing maladaptive social cognition as an intervention for loneliness.

  • Content Type Journal Article
  • Category Original Paper
  • Pages 1-9
  • DOI 10.1007/s00127-012-0515-8
  • Authors
    • Howard Meltzer, Department of Health Sciences, College of Medicine, Biological Sciences and Psychology, University of Leicester, 22-28 Princess Road West, Leicester, LE1 6TP UK
    • Paul Bebbington, Emeritus Professor of Social and Community Psychiatry, UCL Department of Mental Health Sciences, 2nd Floor, Charles Bell House, 67-73 Riding House Street, W1W 7EJ London, UK
    • Michael S. Dennis, The School of Medicine, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP UK
    • Rachel Jenkins, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London, SE1 5AF UK
    • Sally McManus, National Centre for Social Research, 35 Northampton Square, London, EC1V 0AX UK
    • Traolach S. Brugha, Department of Health Sciences, University of Leicester, New Academic Unit, Leicester General Hospital, Gwendolen Road, Leicester, LE5 4PW UK
    • Journal Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
    • Online ISSN 1433-9285
    • Print ISSN 0933-7954
Posted in: Journal Article Abstracts on 05/12/2012 | Link to this post on IFP |
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