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 older 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 older populations, future well-designed interventions are necessary in order to draw firm conclusions.