People With Disabilities Have High Rates of Loneliness
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, Aug. 8, 2025 -- Loneliness among people with disabilities (PWD) is high, according to a study published online Aug. 5 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Maggie Salinger, M.D., and Melissa A. Clark, Ph.D., from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, characterized loneliness severity in PWD. The analysis included working-age U.S. adults (aged 18 to 64 years) participating in the National Survey on Health and Disability (NSHD; wave 1 [October 2019 to January 2020] included 2,175 individuals; wave 2 [October 2023 to February 2024] included 1,638 individuals).
The researchers found that the burden of severe loneliness (three-item UCLA Loneliness Scale score ≥6) was 65 percent in wave 1 and 68 percent in wave 2. Rates of “often” responses ranged from 18 to 52 percent across samples and disability categories. Mean three-item UCLA Loneliness Scale scores ranged from 5 to 7 without significant variation by category.
"Regardless of how disability was classified, NSHD respondents reported persistent feelings of loneliness at substantially greater rates than the general population," the authors write. "Further research is needed to understand varying drivers of loneliness in this population. Efforts to mitigate loneliness and its sequelae must include accessible interventions targeting PWD, including the sizable subset whose disabilities are missed by American Community Survey-6-or Supplemental Security Income/Social Security Disability Insurance-based measures."
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted August 2025
Read this next
Oseltamivir for Flu Tied to Reduced Risk for Serious Neuropsychiatric Events in Children
THURSDAY, Aug. 7, 2025 -- Oseltamivir treatment during influenza episodes is associated with a reduced risk for serious neuropsychiatric events among children and teens, according...
Similar Impact on Mental Health Seen for Exposure to Physical, Verbal Abuse in Childhood
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 6, 2025 -- Exposure to childhood physical or verbal abuse is similarly associated with lower mental well-being during adulthood, according to a study published...
Mental Illness Increased During, After Pregnancy for Gestational Carriers
MONDAY, Aug. 4, 2025 -- Gestational carriers seem to be more likely to be diagnosed with mental illness during and after pregnancy than those with unassisted pregnancies or...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.