Who Cares? Perception of Loneliness in Patients Treated for Coronary Heart Disease

Abstract

Social support is known to be essential to cope with the physical and psychological aftermath following coronary heart disease treatment. Consequently, patients experiencing loneliness may be placed in a vulnerable situation. The aim of this study was to provide insight into the nuances and complexity of loneliness and its impact on health behaviour in the early rehabilitation period following treatment. The study used a hermeneutic philosophical approach. Patients classified as lonely were interviewed in either a focus group ( n = 7) or in an individual interview ( n = 10). We analysed the empirical material using inductive content analysis. The analysis illuminated various dimensions of patients’ perceived loneliness; ‘Loneliness as an emotional pain’, ‘A changed, but unmet need for social support’ and ‘Striving for symmetry in relationships’. Loneliness negatively influenced patients’ ability to adapt to the critical event and manage health behaviour changes. Insight into the mechanisms that aggravate loneliness may inform future social support interventions. Social støtte er beskrevet som essentiel i forbindelse med håndteringen af de fysiske og psykiske følger af iskæmisk hjertesygdom. Derfor kan patienter som oplever ensomhed være i en særlig sårbar situation. Formålet med dette kvalitative studie var at opnå en nuanceret indsigt i patients oplevelse af ensomhed, samt hvordan ensomhed influerer på sundhedsadfærd i den tidlige rehabiliteringsperiode efter behandlingen for iskæmisk hjertesygdom. I studiet havde vi en hermeneutisk filosofisk tilgang. Patienter klassificeret som ensomme blev interviewet enten individuelt (n = 10) eller i fokusgruppe (n = 7). Vi analyserede det empiriske materiale med induktiv indholdsanalyse. Analysen tydeliggjorde forskellige dimensioner af patienternes oplevede ensomhed: ”Ensomhed som en emotionel smerte”, ”Et ændret, men ikke imødekommet behov for social støtte”, Stræben efter symmetri i relationer”. Ensomhed havde en negativ indflydelse på patienternes mulighed for at håndtere den kritiske hændelse og på sundhedsadfærd. En øget indsigt i de mekanismer som forværrer ensomhed, har relevans ved udarbejdelsen af fremtidige sociale støtteinterventioner.

Research Partnerships with Patients Living with Type 2 Diabetes: Practices and Challenges in Quebec Among People New to Canada

“…Each verbatim transcript was divided and classified into several sections according to our key themes. At all steps of the analysis, we grasped the meaning and significance transmitted in the interviews throughout the sorting and exploitation of the empirical material, in conjunction with our key topics ( Blakoe et al, 2022 ). This procedure facilitated the identification of the points which were central to understanding opinions and perceptions related to barriers in engaging in research partnerships.…”

The rise and fall of a social support intervention feasibility trial targeting loneliness in patients with cardiac disease - lessons learned and future perspectives

“…Evidence suggests that social support has the potential to function as a protective factor against the progression and complications of heart disease by e.g., reducing stress levels, increasing compliance with treatment regimes [6,7] and promote healthy behaviors [8]. Beyond the influence of social support on health outcomes, social support is crucial in helping patients manage the physical and psychological aftermath of in-hospital cardiac treatments [9,10].…”

Protocol for a feasibility randomized trial of a social support intervention plus usual care versus usual care, targeting patients treated for cardiac disease who experience loneliness

“…The link between loneliness and health outcomes is explained by two main hypotheses: (1) social support increases the feeling of trust and safety which helps to "buffer" the potentially harmful influences of stress-induced cardiovascular reactivity and (2) social support increases the motivation to make healthier choices [12,13]. Besides, the impact of loneliness on health behaviors and health outcomes, and of similar importance, is that patients experience social support from network members as vital in order to handle the physical and psychological aftermath from in-hospital cardiac disease treatment [14][15][16]. This increased need for social support places patients with inadequate or sparse social support in a vulnerable situation in the early rehabilitation period.…”