Loneliness, depression, and social support of Turkish patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and their spouses.
OBJECTIVE
To identify the differences in loneliness, depression, and social support among Turkish patients with COPD and their spouses.


METHODS
The convenience sample consisted of 30 patients with COPD and their spouses. Descriptive statistics, Student's t tests, and Pearson product moment correlations were used to analyse the data.


METHODS
Data were collected during structured interviews in an outpatient clinic in Turkey by using the UCLA Loneliness Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory and Perceived Social Support from Friends and Family scales.


RESULTS
Levels of loneliness, depression, and perceived social support from family and friends were similar for patients and spouses. Loneliness and depression were positively related, but both loneliness and depression were greater with less perceived social support from family and friends for both patients and their spouses.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients' and spouses' psychologic reactions to COPD might include feelings of loneliness and depression, which might be alleviated by social support.
Kara
Magfiret
M
Fundamentals of Nursing Department, Atatürk University, Erzurum, Turkey. magfiret@atauni.edu.tr
Mirici
Arzu
A
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D033062:Friends / Q000523:psychology; D006304:Health Status; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008132:Loneliness / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012934:Social Isolation; D012944:Social Support; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014421:Turkey