Risk for Loneliness and Social Isolation: Potentially Underestimated Nursing Diagnoses in Onco-Hematology Inpatients.

BACKGROUND

Loneliness and social isolation are recognized as serious psychosocial issues for inpatients with onco-hematologic diseases, negatively affecting well-being, treatment adherence, and clinical outcomes. However, the prevalence of loneliness and social isolation remains understudied, particularly when assessed using standardized nursing diagnoses.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the prevalence and 1-week changes of the nursing diagnoses Risk for Loneliness and Social Isolation in patients hospitalized with onco-hematologic diseases, and to identify variables associated with their presence at admission.

METHODS

This was a prospective longitudinal study. Adult inpatients with onco-hematologic diseases admitted for at least 7 days were assessed within 48 hours of admission (T 0 ) and reassessed 1 week later (T 1 ). Changes in diagnostic indicators were analyzed, and multivariable analyses were used to identify variables associated with their presence at T 0 .

RESULTS

One hundred patients participated. At T 0 , the prevalence of Risk for Loneliness and Social Isolation was 73% and 15%, respectively. The incidence of both diagnoses increased over the 1-week follow-up. For Risk for Loneliness, the related factors affectional deprivation and social isolation increased at T 1 . For Social Isolation, most defining characteristics and several related factors increased at follow-up. Self-esteem, age, and single-room accommodation were associated with Risk for Loneliness, whereas only self-esteem was associated with Social Isolation.

CONCLUSION

High and increasing levels of loneliness and social isolation were documented, indicating the need for systematic assessment and timely intervention.

IMPLICATIONS FOR ONCOLOGY NURSING PRACTICE: Flexible, patient-centered visiting policies and targeted psychosocial nursing interventions may help reduce loneliness and social isolation, thereby improving patient outcomes.