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Disparities in Severe Loneliness Between Adults With and Without a Serious Mental Illness

Objective: Severe loneliness infrequently occurs in the general population but has very significant impacts on health and quality of life. This study examined the extent to which severe loneliness is experienced by adults with serious mental illnesses (SMIs) relative to adults in the general populat...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychiatric rehabilitation journal 2023-12, Vol.46 (4), p.368-372
Main Authors: Nagata, Shinichi, McCormick, Bryan, Brusilovskiy, Eugene, Townley, Greg, Salzer, Mark S.
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:Objective: Severe loneliness infrequently occurs in the general population but has very significant impacts on health and quality of life. This study examined the extent to which severe loneliness is experienced by adults with serious mental illnesses (SMIs) relative to adults in the general population and its possible implications for psychiatric rehabilitation services. Method: Data were gathered from samples of individuals with SMI (N = 231) and a general community sample of adults (N = 300) using the University of California, Los Angeles Loneliness Scale. Results: The results indicate that loneliness was much greater among those with SMI than the general adult population sample (Cohen's d = 1.220) and approximately 41% of the participants with SMI were "severely lonely" versus 7.3% of the non-SMI adult sample. Conclusions and Implications for Practice: Severe loneliness is extremely common among individuals with SMI. Psychiatric rehabilitation services that focus on socialization and mattering are needed to address this significant public health issue. Impact and Implications The present study found that disproportionately many people with serious mental illnesses reported severe levels of loneliness. Loneliness should be considered as an intervention target in psychiatric rehabilitation services. To accomplish that, funders and policy makers should prioritize addressing loneliness as a critical outcome of mental health services.
ISSN:1095-158X
1559-3126
DOI:10.1037/prj0000591