A systematic review of 19 qualitative studies spanning 28 countries and nearly 600 informal caregivers found that caring for someone with chronic kidney disease (CKD) can substantially disrupt social connection, relationships, and personal identity. Dialysis schedules, medication management, dietary restrictions, and infection-prevention routines often limited caregivers’ time and mobility, contributing to missed social activities and, in some cases, relocation for treatment access. Insufficient family help, limited respite care, and unclear guidance from healthcare professionals compounded the burden, with some caregivers reporting that they could not attend their own medical appointments. Relationship-specific challenges also emerged: spouses described becoming more task-focused as a couple, younger caregivers felt increasingly disconnected from peers, and some parents concealed a child’s illness because of stigma.

Peer connection, group-based psychosocial support, self-help programs, and faith communities helped some caregivers maintain a sense of belonging and cope with isolation, with several suggesting that support offered closer to diagnosis could have prevented problems from becoming entrenched. However, none of the included studies clearly distinguished loneliness, a subjective emotional experience, from social isolation, an objective lack of social contact. No identified CKD caregiver intervention specifically targeted either problem. The findings highlight an opportunity for clinicians to recognize caregiver well-being as part of CKD care, ask about available support and social connection, and consider caregiver needs when coordinating treatment. The authors call for culturally appropriate, relationship-specific interventions and additional research to determine how best to identify and address loneliness and isolation among CKD caregivers.

Reference: Hohmann E. CKD caregiving drives social isolation, loneliness. AJMC. Published June 25, 2026. Accessed October 6, 2026. https://www.ajmc.com/view/ckd-caregiving-drives-social-isolation-loneliness

Link: https://www.ajmc.com/view/ckd-caregiving-drives-social-isolation-loneliness