Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29843662›Full record

SynthesisBMC psychiatry2018

Associations between loneliness and perceived social support and outcomes of mental health problems: a systematic review.

Jingyi Wang, Farhana Mann, Brynmor Lloyd-Evans, Ruimin Ma, Sonia Johnson

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC psychiatry, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 622 papers, 12 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
622citing papers in PubMed, 12 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

622 citing papers in PubMed, 12 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  2. Systematic Review of Loneliness and Social Isolation Interventions in Obesity and Obesity-Related Complications.Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity · 2026
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562 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Jingyi WangDivision of Psychiatry - University College London, 6th Floor, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7NF, England.
Farhana MannDivision of Psychiatry - University College London, 6th Floor, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7NF, England.
Brynmor Lloyd-EvansDivision of Psychiatry - University College London, 6th Floor, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7NF, England.
Ruimin MaDivision of Psychiatry - University College London, 6th Floor, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7NF, England.
Sonia JohnsonDivision of Psychiatry - University College London, 6th Floor, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7NF, England. s.johnson@ucl.ac.uk.

Funding

Wellcome Trust 203618/Z/16/Z
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe adverse effects of loneliness and of poor perceived social support on physical health and mortality are established, but no systematic synthesis is available of their relationship with the outcomes of mental health problems over time. In this systematic review, we aim to examine the evidence on whether loneliness and closely related concepts predict poor outcomes among adults with mental health problems.

methodsWe searched six databases and reference lists for longitudinal quantitative studies that examined the relationship between baseline measures of loneliness and poor perceived social support and outcomes at follow up. Thirty-four eligible papers were retrieved. Due to heterogeneity among included studies in clinical populations, predictor measures and outcomes, a narrative synthesis was conducted.

resultsWe found substantial evidence from prospective studies that people with depression who perceive their social support as poorer have worse outcomes in terms of symptoms, recovery and social functioning. Loneliness has been investigated much less than perceived social support, but there is some evidence that greater loneliness predicts poorer depression outcome. There is also some preliminary evidence of associations between perceived social support and outcomes in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and anxiety disorders.

conclusionsLoneliness and quality of social support in depression are potential targets for development and testing of interventions, while for other conditions further evidence is needed regarding relationships with outcomes.

Indexed as

DepressionSocial SupportHumansLonelinessOutcome Assessment, Health CarePrognosisRecovery of FunctionSocial ParticipationSocial PerceptionLonelinessMental health problemsOutcomesPerceived social supportSystematic review

Identifiers

PMID29843662
PMCPMC5975705

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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.