One size does not fit all: A qualitative study exploring preferences and barriers towards the design of a loneliness reduction intervention in patients with coronary heart disease.
Mitti Blakoe, Selina Kikkenborg Berg, Ida Elisabeth Højskov and 2 others
PMID 34978762WHAT IT FOUND
Patients with coronary heart disease who felt lonely preferred peer support over involving family or friends.
They worried that asking relatives for help would burden them and disrupt existing relationships. Peers allowed them to speak frankly about recovery struggles without fear of judgment.
Key findings
01Participants preferred peer support because it allowed them to speak frankly about symptoms and emotional struggles without worrying about burdening or altering existing relationships with family and friends.
02Involving a social network member was often rejected due to social norms, with patients feeling it was inappropriate to impose on friends or family or risk disrupting the balance of the relationship.
03All participants agreed that while the intervention should be introduced during hospitalization, the decision to accept it should be made after discharge, as the need for support only became apparent once they returned home.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPsWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Approximately half of the eligible patients declined to participate, which may mean the findings do not represent the views of those most isolated or reluctant to engage. The study explored hypothetical preferences for an intervention that had not yet been tested, so these attitudes may not translate to actual behavior in a real clinical setting. Focus group participants tended to discuss barriers in a general, impersonal way, though this was mitigated by including individual interviews.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret these preferences as evidence that peer support reduces loneliness or improves health outcomes. The study only reports what patients said they would prefer; the intervention itself was not tested for efficacy.