title: Loneliness in schizophrenia and its possible correlates. An exploratory study.
abstract: Social attachment is a biological and affective need. When this need is not met, people experience loneliness. Loneliness is associated with impaired social cognition, and is a risk factor for broad based morbidity across the adult lifespan even after controlling for multiple factors. However, little is known about loneliness in schizophrenia. Eighty-seven non-depressed individuals with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (including 51 inpatients) and 58 control subjects completed the revised UCLA Loneliness scale. Social cognition was assessed with a self-report questionnaire and a performance-based task. Social trait perception was assessed with a facial task. Comorbid medical diagnoses were available for all inpatients. Patients reported greater loneliness levels than controls, while in- and out-patients did not significantly differ. In patients, loneliness was associated with self-report measures of social cognition. Patients' loneliness scores predicted a diagnosis of drug abuse/dependence, number of drugs used, hypertension and abnormal hemoglobin A1c levels. Patients experienced higher levels of loneliness than controls, independently of their objective social isolation. Loneliness did not rely on the same psychological processes in patients than in controls. Loneliness in schizophrenia is a symptom that deserves more scrutiny, particularly as it relates to the high prevalence of metabolic syndrome in this population.
authors.affiliation: Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, NY, USA. Electronic address: Ftremeau@NKI.RFMH.ORG.
authors.forename: Fabien
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Trémeau
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, NY, USA; University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Antonius
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, NY, USA; Institute for Social and Psychiatric Initiatives (InSPIRES), New York University School of Medicine, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Dolores
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Malaspina
authors.affiliation: Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Donald C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Goff
authors.affiliation: Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Javitt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008132:Loneliness / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000453:epidemiology; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology
keywords: Comorbidity; Loneliness; Metabolic syndrome; Social cognition