Understanding chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-related loneliness: a scoping review

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary Medicine
• Psychology
• Social Sciences

Background:

• Loneliness in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is increasingly recognized but poorly understood.
• Existing rehabilitation programs may not adequately address the multifaceted nature of loneliness experienced by COPD patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize emotional, social, and existential loneliness in individuals with COPD.
• To define the unique aspects of loneliness as experienced by people living with COPD.

Main Methods:

• A scoping review guided by the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology.
• Systematic literature search across seven databases followed by stepwise study screening.
• Data extraction to identify loneliness characteristics and develop analytical themes.

Main Results:

• Seventeen publications were included in the review.
• Key characteristics of emotional, social, and existential loneliness were identified.
• Four themes emerged: reduced social contact, being housebound, the "lonely battle" of COPD, and feeling like a "second-class person."

Conclusions:

• COPD-related loneliness is a complex, evolving experience.
• Current rehabilitation insufficiently addresses the emotional and existential dimensions of loneliness.
• Rehabilitation must explicitly target COPD-related loneliness with tailored assessments and interventions.