title: Loneliness and psychological health of orthopaedic patients' caregivers: does gender make a difference?
abstract: Although research evidence indicates that loneliness is detrimental to mental health in diverse populations, impact of loneliness on psychological distress of orthopaedic patients' caregivers has been given little research attention. The present study examined the association of loneliness with psychological health, and explored gender differences in the loneliness and psychological health association among orthopaedic patients' caregivers. Participants were 250 patients' caregivers drawn from a national orthopaedic hospital in eastern Nigeria. Data was collected by means of self-report measures translated into the local dialect of the caregivers. Multiple regression results showed that loneliness positively predicted psychological distress in the total sample. Loneliness did not predict psychological distress of male caregivers, but it positively predicted psychological distress of female caregivers. In order to promote orthopaedic patients caregivers' mental health, gender-based differentials in the link between loneliness and psychological distress should be addressed by researchers and healthcare practitioners.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , University of Nigeria , Nsukka , Nigeria.
authors.forename: JohnBosco Chika
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Chukwuorji
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , University of Nigeria , Nsukka , Nigeria.
authors.forename: Lawrence O
authors.initials: LO
authors.lastname: Amazue
authors.affiliation: b Department of Psychological Services , Medical Centre, University of Nigeria , Nsukka , Nigeria.
authors.forename: Okechukwu Hope
authors.initials: OH
authors.lastname: Ekeh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008132:Loneliness / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000451:nursing*; D009549:Nigeria; D012737:Sex Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Coping; gender; loneliness; orthopaedic patients; psychological health