Determinants of Loneliness in Patients With Heart Failure: A Cross-Sectional Study

Loneliness contributes to increased hospitalization and mortality in patients with heart failure (HF). However, the mechanisms underlying the relationship between type D personality and loneliness remain unknown.

In this study, our aim was to examine whether adaptive cognitive emotional regulation strategies (CERS) and resourcefulness mediate the effects of type D personality on loneliness among patients with HF, based on the Theory of Resourcefulness and Quality of Life.

In this cross-sectional study, 216 patients with HF were recruited from 3 hospitals in China between December 2021 and January 2023. Type D personality, adaptive CERS, resourcefulness, and loneliness were assessed using self-administered questionnaires. Serial mediation analysis was conducted using the PROCESS macro in SPSS.

Of the 216 patients, 67.59% experienced moderate loneliness and 28.70% experienced high loneliness. Type D personality had a significant direct effect on loneliness. The relationship between type D personality and loneliness was mediated by resourcefulness independently and by adaptive CERS and resourcefulness in serial terms.

Interventions aimed at enhancing the use of adaptive CERS and improving resourcefulness may help to alleviate loneliness in patients with HF who have type D personality.