Decreasing loneliness and social isolation among the older people: systematic search and narrative review

Introduction The aim of this study is to sum up the current knowledge on the effectiveness of the existing interventions for alleviating loneliness and social isolation among elderly persons. Methods We used a systematic approach and performed a literature search of MEDLINE, ISI Web of s...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jovana Stojanovic, Agnese Collamati, Duplaga Mariusz, Graziano Onder, Daniele Ignazio La Milia, Walter Ricciardi, Umberto Moscato, Nicola Magnavita, Andrea Poscia
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Milano University Press 2022-03-01
Series:Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Public Health
Online Access:https://riviste.unimi.it/index.php/ebph/article/view/17489
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Introduction The aim of this study is to sum up the current knowledge on the effectiveness of the existing interventions for alleviating loneliness and social isolation among elderly persons. Methods We used a systematic approach and performed a literature search of MEDLINE, ISI Web of science, SCOPUS, The Cochrane Library, and CINAHL databases. After identifying 13 eligible reviews addressing interventions of our interest, we proceeded with a narrative description of the study findings. Results The initiatives largely encompassed one-to-one interventions, group activities or community engagement approaches. In particular, technology interventions were recently given much attention. Overall, the studies showed non-satisfying methodological quality and their results were often inconclusive. Conclusions Although there is a growing body of evidence referring to implementation of interventions targeting social isolation and loneliness among the elderly, future well-designed interventions are necessary in order to draw firm conclusions.
ISSN:2282-0930