SynthesisPloS one2018
Association of loneliness with all-cause mortality: A meta-analysis.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05426837 (Combating Social Isolation in Older Adults), which is not on this map. Cited by 256 papers, 18 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Combating Social Isolation in Older Adults: Randomized Clinical Trial Evaluating the Acceptability and Efficacy of a Brief, Technology Delivered Intervention
Who cites it
256 citing papers in PubMed, 18 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- A systematic review of the social functioning of youth with JIA: Barriers, stigma, and resources.Journal of pediatric psychology · 2026Pooled it
- Loneliness among adults at the end of life: A systematic review of prevalence and correlates.Palliative medicine · 2026Pooled it
- Interventions against loneliness and social isolation in older adults- a systematic review.BMC public health · 2026Pooled it
- Social connectedness and disconnectedness in individuals with recent onset psychosis and suicidal experiences: a systematic review of the evidence.BMC psychiatry · 2026Pooled it
- Efficacy of Technology-Based Interventions on the Reduction of Loneliness: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Pooled it
- What interventions can improve social connections for military partners? A scoping review.Journal of military, veteran and family health · 2025Pooled it
- A review of the 257 meta-analyses of the differences between females and males in prevalence and risk, protective factors, and treatment outcomes for mental disorder.BMC psychiatry · 2025Pooled it
- Loneliness, social isolation, and living alone: a comprehensive systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression of mortality risks in older adults.Aging clinical and experimental research · 2025Pooled it
- The association between social connectedness and euthanasia and assisted suicide and related constructs: systematic review.BMC public health · 2024Pooled it
- Loneliness in the workplace: a mixed-method systematic review and meta-analysis.Occupational medicine (Oxford, England) · 2023Pooled it
- Oral frailty indicators to target major adverse health-related outcomes in older age: a systematic review.GeroScience · 2023Pooled it
- Sense of purpose in life and concurrent loneliness and risk of incident loneliness: An individual-participant meta-analysis of 135,227 individuals from 36 cohorts.Journal of affective disorders · 2022Pooled it
- A Systematic Review of Studies Describing the Effectiveness, Acceptability, and Potential Harms of Place-Based Interventions to Address Loneliness and Mental Health Problems.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Pooled it
- Older Adults' Loneliness, Social Isolation, and Physical Information and Communication Technology in the Era of Ambient Assisted Living: A Systematic Literature Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2021Pooled it
- Informal Caregiving, Loneliness and Social Isolation: A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Pooled it
- Neurobiology of loneliness: a systematic review.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2021Pooled it
- Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Digital Technology Interventions to Reduce Loneliness in Older Adults: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Journal of medical Internet research · 2021Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Trial
- Effects of a mindfulness-based intervention versus a social contact control in alleviating loneliness among older adults: a randomised controlled trial.BMJ mental health · 2026Trial
196 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionLoneliness has social and health implications. The aim of this article is to evaluate the association of loneliness with all-cause mortality.
methodsPubmed, PsycINFO, CINAHL and Scopus databases were searched through June 2016 for published articles that measured loneliness and mortality. The main characteristics and the effect size values of each article were extracted. Moreover, an evaluation of the quality of the articles included was also carried out. A meta-analysis was performed firstly with all the included articles and secondly separating by gender, using a random effects model.
resultsA total of 35 articles involving 77220 participants were included in the systematic review. Loneliness is a risk factor for all-cause mortality [pooled HR = 1.22, 95% CI = (1.10, 1.35), p < 0.001] for both genders together, and for women [pooled HR = 1.26, 95% CI = (1.07, 1.48); p = 0.005] and men [pooled HR = 1.44; 95% CI = (1.19, 1.76); p < 0.001] separately.
conclusionsLoneliness shows a harmful effect for all-cause mortality and this effect is slightly stronger in men than in women. Moreover, the impact of loneliness was independent from the quality evaluation of each article and the effect of depression.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.