The Impact of Loneliness on Health Service Use and Health-Related Quality of Life Among Informal Carers in Australia

OBJECTIVES: The demanding nature of caregiving and limited social support can lead to informal carers experiencing loneliness, which can impact their well-being and overall health service use (HSU). The study aims to examine the impact of loneliness on HSU and Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) among informal carers in Australia.

METHODS: Data were derived from three waves (2009, 2013, and 2017) of the nationally representative longitudinal Household Income and Labor Dynamics of Australia (HILDA) survey, focusing on adult informal carers. Outcome measures included visits to the General Practitioner, the number of hospital admissions, and the SF-6D score. Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) analysis was conducted to explore the associations between loneliness and HSU, as well as loneliness and HRQoL (based on SF-6D) while adjusting for age, sex, education, marital status, income, and physical/ mental health conditions.

RESULTS: After controlling for covariates, lonely carers reported lower HRQoL (IRR= 0.76, 95%CI [0.72, 0.81], p<0.001) compared to non-lonely carers. Lonely carers reported a higher number of GP visits (IRR= 1.18, 95% CI [1.04, 1.36], p<0.05) but fewer hospital admissions (IRR= 0.68, 95%CI [0.48, 0.95], p<0.05) compared to the non-lonely carers.

CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study suggest that loneliness among informal carers is associated with decreased HRQOL and increased GP visits. This highlights the detrimental impact of loneliness on both healthcare utilization and carers’ overall well-being. Addressing loneliness through targeted interventions and social support systems can help improve health outcomes and potentially reduce the overall healthcare costs among informal carers in Australia.