Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 Jul 12:2020:2036842.
doi: 10.1155/2020/2036842. eCollection 2020.

A Systematic Review on Technology-Supported Interventions to Improve Old-Age Social Wellbeing: Loneliness, Social Isolation, and Connectedness

Francisco Ibarra  1   2 , Marcos Baez  1 , Luca Cernuzzi  2 , Fabio Casati  3
Affiliations

A Systematic Review on Technology-Supported Interventions to Improve Old-Age Social Wellbeing: Loneliness, Social Isolation, and Connectedness

Francisco Ibarra et al. J Healthc Eng. .

Abstract

Background: This review studies technology-supported interventions to help older adults, living in situations of reduced mobility, overcome loneliness, and social isolation. The focus is on long-distance interactions, investigating the (i) challenges addressed and strategies applied; (ii) technology used in interventions; and (iii) social interactions enabled.

Methods: We conducted a search on Elsevier's Scopus database for related work published until January 2020, focusing on (i) intervention studies supported mainly by technology-mediated communication, (ii) aiming at supported virtual social interactions between people, and (iii) evaluating the impact of loneliness or social isolation.

Results: Of the 1178 papers screened, 25 met the inclusion criteria. Computer and Internet training was the dominant strategy, allowing access to communication technologies, while in recent years, we see more studies aiming to provide simple, easy-to-use technology. The technology used was mostly off-the-shelf, with fewer solutions tailored to older adults. Social interactions targeted mainly friends and family, and most interventions focused on more than one group of people. Discussion. All interventions reported positive results, suggesting feasibility. However, more research is needed on the topic (especially randomized controlled trials), as evidenced by the low number of interventions found. We recommend more rigorous methods, addressing human factors and reporting technology usage in future research.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this paper.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The full selection process, following the PRISMA statement guidelines.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Berkman L. F., Syme S. L. Social networks, host resistance, and mortality: a nine-year follow-up study of alameda county residents. American Journal of Epidemiology. 1979;109(2):186–204. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a112674. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Seeman T. E., Berkman L. F., Blazer D., Rowe J. W. Social ties and support and neuroendocrine function: the MacArthur studies of successful aging. Annals of Behavioral Medicine. 1994;16(2):95–106.
    1. Barefoot J. C., Grønbæk M., Jensen G., Schnohr P., Prescott E. Social network diversity and risks of ischemic heart disease and total mortality: findings from the Copenhagen city heart study. American Journal of Epidemiology. 2005;161(10):960–967. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwi128. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Brummett B. H., Barefoot J. C., Siegler I. C., et al. Characteristics of socially isolated patients with coronary artery disease who are at elevated risk for mortality. Psychosomatic Medicine. 2001;63(2):267–272. doi: 10.1097/00006842-200103000-00010. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Cornwell E. Y., Waite L. J. Social disconnectedness, perceived isolation, and health among older adults. Journal of Health and Social Behavior. 2009;50(1):31–48. doi: 10.1177/002214650905000103. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

Publication types