Loneliness Among Adults Aging With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: The Importance of Living Situation.

Background and objectives: Loneliness is a serious public health concern among the aging population. Not only is loneliness an unpleasant emotional experience but it is also associated with worse health, well-being, and even mortality. This is a particularly important issue among the population aging with intellectual and developmental disabilities, who are more likely to experience loneliness across the life course, and who-particularly if living in an intermediate care facility (ICF) or nursing facility-may lack social connections.

Research design and methods: We analyzed data from the 2012-2013 to 2021-2022 waves of the National Core Indicators-Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities In-Person Survey (NCI-IPS; 8 waves total), a national survey of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities receiving state services (N = 101,374 observations drawn from 49 states). Multilevel logistic regression models examined whether loneliness varied according to living situation.

Results: Indicated that (a) adults aging with intellectual and developmental disabilities in ICF and nursing facilities reported significantly greater loneliness than those living in the community, (b) having friends was associated with reduced loneliness overall, yet (c) having friends was associated with reduced loneliness among those living in the community, but not for those living in ICF or nursing facilities.

Discussion and implications: These results indicate not only that adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities living in institutionalized settings are at higher risk of experiencing loneliness and its detrimental effects but also that specialized interventions are required to meet their unique needs and reduce their loneliness in mid and later life.