Nordkamp Annika, Midtgaard Julie, de Thurah Annette, Glintborg Bente, Aadahl Mette, Cromhout Pernille Fevejle, Vestergaard Sofie Bech, Lau Lene, Yilmaz Connie, Esbensen Bente Appel
Center for Rheumatology and Spine Diseases, Copenhagen Center for Arthritis Research (COPECARE), Centre for Head and Orthopaedics, Rigshospitalet, Glostrup, Denmark.
Mental Health Center Glostrup, Copenhagen University Hospital - Mental Health Services CPH, Centre for Applied Research in Mental Health Care (CARMEN), Copenhagen, Denmark.
Int J Rheum Dis. 2025 Jan;28(1):e70041. doi: 10.1111/1756-185X.70041.
Despite advancements in pharmacological treatments, living with inflammatory arthritis (IA) (including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA)) can make it challenging to engage in social activities, which may increase the risk of loneliness. Although loneliness is predominantly prevalent in IA, its origin and impact on mental health status on daily life with IA remain unexplored. Therefore, the objective of this study was to describe the experiences of people with IA in relation to loneliness.
Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with purposefully sampled participants who reported loneliness. Reflexive thematic analysis was applied to analyze data.
The interviews included fourteen participants (RA (n = 5), PsA (n = 5), and AxSpA (n = 4)) with median age of 47 (range 25-76). We developed three themes: (1) "Loneliness amplifies the negative impact of IA," illustrating the experience of loneliness as an integrated part of the participants' struggles; (2) "Excluding myself from what I need the most," detailing participants' awareness of their need but inability to engage in social activities; and (3) "Longing for loneliness to be addressed," expressing unfulfilled wishes for health professionals to address loneliness.
Participants in our study reported that loneliness had a profound impact on their overall well-being and self-management. Overall, there is a critical need to address loneliness as an essential issue for people with IA, highlighting the necessity for increased support and recognition. By addressing loneliness, health professionals can protect patients' mental health and help them navigate social connections, enhancing their self-management and overall well-being.
尽管药物治疗取得了进展，但患有炎性关节炎（IA）（包括类风湿关节炎（RA）、银屑病关节炎（PsA）和轴性脊柱关节炎（axSpA））的患者参与社交活动仍具有挑战性，这可能会增加孤独感的风险。虽然孤独感在IA患者中普遍存在，但其根源以及对IA患者日常生活心理健康状况的影响仍未得到探索。因此，本研究的目的是描述IA患者与孤独感相关的经历。
对有目的地抽取的报告有孤独感的参与者进行了半结构化电话访谈。采用反思性主题分析法对数据进行分析。
访谈包括14名参与者（RA（n = 5）、PsA（n = 5）和AxSpA（n = 4）），中位年龄为47岁（范围25 - 76岁）。我们提炼出三个主题：（1）“孤独加剧了IA的负面影响”，说明了孤独感是参与者挣扎的一个组成部分；（2）“将自己排除在最需要的事情之外”，详细描述了参与者意识到自己的需求，但无法参与社交活动；（3）“渴望解决孤独问题”，表达了对健康专业人员解决孤独问题的未实现的愿望。
我们研究中的参与者报告称，孤独感对他们的整体幸福感和自我管理产生了深远影响。总体而言，迫切需要将孤独感作为IA患者的一个重要问题来解决，突出了增加支持和认知的必要性。通过解决孤独感，健康专业人员可以保护患者的心理健康，帮助他们建立社交联系，增强自我管理能力和整体幸福感。
