Exploring Loneliness in Family Caregiver–Care Recipient Dyads: Implications for Caregiver Burden

AIM: Family caregivers (CGs) and care recipients (CRs) with cognitive impairment are vulnerable to loneliness, yet the dynamics of loneliness within CG-CR dyads remain underexplored. This study used latent class analysis to identify distinct profiles of loneliness in CG-CR dyads and examine their association with caregiver burden. METHODS: Data from 260 dyads of family CGs and CRs with cognitive impairment in Singapore were analyzed. A three-item UCLA Loneliness Scale assessed loneliness in CGs and CRs. RESULTS: Three dyadic loneliness profiles were identified: "less lonely dyads" (74%), "less lonely CGs with severely lonely CRs" (16%), and "lonely CGs with moderately lonely CRs" (10%). Compared with CGs in the "less lonely dyads," CGs in the "lonely CGs with moderately lonely CRs" dyads reported significantly higher caregiver burden. CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the need to address loneliness at the dyadic level and identify CGs' loneliness as a primary driver of caregiver burden.