Pulmonary rehabilitation and loneliness in individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

Loneliness is prevalent in individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This study examined if a measure of loneliness changes following pulmonary rehabilitation (PR). In this interventional study, participants were enrolled in a 4-5-week (inpatient) or 10-week (out-patient or virtual) PR program. The primary outcome was loneliness measured using the University of California, Los Angeles-Loneliness Scale (UCLA-LS). Repeated measures (ANOVA) were used to detect changes over time (pre-post PR) for all outcomes. A total of 46 individuals with COPD were included. A small decrease in loneliness levels post-PR [UCLA-LS: MD = 3-point, p = 0.019, ES = 0.36] was noted. This effect was modulated after controlling for the effect of age and PR setting [UCLA-LS: MD = 3-point, p = 0.934]. Improvements in depression [PHQ-9: Mean difference (MD) = 1.6-point, p = 0.004, ES = 0.45], anxiety [GAD-7: MD = 1.6-point, p = 0.001, ES = 0.50] and health status [CRQ-Total: MD = 0.9-point, p < 0.001, ES = 1.0] were also noted. At baseline and post-PR, loneliness was associated with age [r = −0.38, p = 0.009]. This study highlights the opportunity to identify additional interventions during PR that could target loneliness.