Patients' loneliness: a challenge for rehabilitation nurses

The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of loneliness felt by young and middle-aged adults in a long-term rehabilitation center and the relationship among such variables as loneliness, age, and length of institutionalization. A convenience sample was taken from a long-term rehabilitation center in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Findings indicate that loneliness is present among young and middle-aged adults in this long-term rehabilitation center and is more prevalent among those who have been admitted more recently. Nursing intervention strategies to deal with loneliness are presented.