Exploring loneliness in individuals with diabetes – The role of childhood abuse and neglect, and personality functioning: Findings from a German population-based sample

IF 3.3 2区医学 Q2 PSYCHIATRY

Journal of Psychosomatic Research Pub Date : 2025-09-24 DOI:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2025.112390

Sandra Zara , Johannes Kruse , Elmar Brähler , Mareike Ernst , Jörg M. Fegert , Astrid Lampe , Tobias Nolte , Miriam Rassenhofer , David Riedl , Hanna Kampling

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

This study examines 1) loneliness frequency in individuals with diabetes, 2) associated factors, and 3) personality functioning and the epistemic stance as underlying mechanisms linking childhood abuse and neglect, and loneliness.

Methods

Using representative population data (N = 2428), loneliness (UCLA-LS) was assessed in individuals with self-reported diabetes (n = 206) and compared to those without. Regression analyses tested age, sex, relationship status, childhood abuse and neglect (ICAST-R), depression and anxiety (PHQ-4), personality functioning (OPD-SQS), and the epistemic stance (ETMCQ-12) as predictors. Structural equation modeling (SEM) investigated personality functioning and the epistemic stance as mediators between childhood abuse and neglect, and loneliness.

Results

In the total sample, 12.4 % reported loneliness, and loneliness was more frequent in individuals with diabetes (24.8 %) than those without (11.3 %). Higher loneliness was linked to being single, greater depression and anxiety symptoms, and impaired personality functioning. While childhood abuse and neglect were initially associated with loneliness, this became nonsignificant when personality functioning was included as a mediator, increasing the explained variance from 3.4 % to 42.0 %.

Conclusions

Nearly a quarter of individuals with diabetes experience loneliness, particularly linked to emotional abuse. Impaired personality functioning, associated with interpersonal difficulties, appears as a shared mechanism for diabetes and loneliness. Considering loneliness and impairments in personality functioning might be highly important in research and clinical practice.

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探索糖尿病患者的孤独感-童年虐待和忽视的作用，以及人格功能：来自德国人口样本的发现

本研究探讨了1)糖尿病患者的孤独频率，2)相关因素，以及3)人格功能和认知立场作为儿童虐待和忽视与孤独之间的潜在机制。方法采用具有代表性的人群数据（N = 2428），对自我报告糖尿病的个体（N = 206）进行孤独感（UCLA-LS）评估，并与未报告糖尿病的个体进行比较。回归分析测试了年龄、性别、关系状况、童年虐待和忽视（ICAST-R）、抑郁和焦虑（PHQ-4）、人格功能（OPD-SQS）和认知立场（ETMCQ-12）作为预测因素。结构方程模型（SEM）研究了人格功能和认知立场在儿童虐待和忽视与孤独之间的中介作用。结果在总样本中，有12.4%的人报告了孤独感，其中糖尿病患者（24.8%）比非糖尿病患者（11.3%）更常见。更高的孤独感与单身、更严重的抑郁和焦虑症状以及人格功能受损有关。虽然童年时期的虐待和忽视最初与孤独有关，但当人格功能作为一个中介因素被包括在内时，这一点变得不重要，解释方差从3.4%增加到42.0%。近四分之一的糖尿病患者感到孤独，尤其是与情感虐待有关。与人际关系困难相关的人格功能受损，似乎是糖尿病和孤独的共同机制。考虑孤独和人格功能障碍可能在研究和临床实践中非常重要。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of Psychosomatic Research 医学-精神病学

CiteScore

7.40

自引率

6.40%

发文量

314

审稿时长

6.2 weeks

期刊介绍： The Journal of Psychosomatic Research is a multidisciplinary research journal covering all aspects of the relationships between psychology and medicine. The scope is broad and ranges from basic human biological and psychological research to evaluations of treatment and services. Papers will normally be concerned with illness or patients rather than studies of healthy populations. Studies concerning special populations, such as the elderly and children and adolescents, are welcome. In addition to peer-reviewed original papers, the journal publishes editorials, reviews, and other papers related to the journal''s aims.