title: GPs' experiences with loneliness.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Loneliness has a negative influence on health. General practitioners are confronted with lonely patients in their daily practice, but there is little information about how GPs deal with loneliness.
  
  
  METHODS
  A qualitative study using semistructured interviews with 20 GPs who practise integrative medicine in the Netherlands.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There are GPs who never ask patients about loneliness. Others mostly raise the topic indirectly. General practitioners sometimes notice that discussing loneliness brings relief to their patients. Almost all interviewed GPs have feelings of deficiency in their ability to provide health care to lonely patients. A feeling of powerlessness and perceived lack of time are the reasons given to avoid a discussion of loneliness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Loneliness is a widespread phenomenon and a difficult problem according to the GPs interviewed in this study. Discussing loneliness with patients should not be avoided in general practice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Care, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. h.vanravesteijn@hag.umcn.nl
authors.forename: Hiske
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: van Ravesteijn
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lucassen
authors.forename: Marjan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van der Akker
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008132:Loneliness; D008297:Male; D008487:Medical History Taking; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations