Predictors for Loneliness Perceived by the Interviewer or the Individual: Findings from Limited Disability Pensioners and Medical Rehabilitation Patients

Abstract

Loneliness can be seen as indicator of social participation which is a major concern of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Temporary disability pensioners and medical rehabilitants are persons with disabilities, whose rights should be empowered. Moreover, loneliness is a major burden for the individual and finding ways to overcome loneliness are accordingly required. Previous research has shown that different socio-demographic characteristics, life-satisfaction and social support interrelate with loneliness. The aim of the present study was to replicate findings with two computer-assisted telephone interview studies with individuals insured with a local pension fund. While study 1 recruited N = 453 disability pensioners (mean age=50.4 years, 53.5 % female) and assessed their loneliness with the typical self-report measured by directly asking, study 2 recruited N = 1,044 patients in a medical rehabilitation (mean age=49.5 years, 36 % female) and used the reports of their interviewers without asking the study participants directly about their loneliness. In both studies, more life-satisfaction was significantly associated with less loneliness (beta=-.41 and -.23). However, only in the interviewer-rated study, higher social support was related to less loneliness (beta=-.16). Sex differences were found in the interviewer-rated study (women were rated as lonelier, beta=.11), while an interrelation with age was only found if self-reports were used in terms of younger disability pensioners reported more loneliness (beta=-.24). The findings open options for counseling to also improve self-reported life-satisfaction. While interviewers rate female interviewees as lonelier than men, interventions should not forget about men as they report equal loneliness if controlled for other variables. The results replicate that health and life-satisfaction are imperative and addressable to decrease loneliness. This should be researched further and used for interventions.