ArticleInternational journal of environmental research and public health2022
Can Communication Technologies Reduce Loneliness and Social Isolation in Older People? A Scoping Review of Reviews.
Article in International journal of environmental research and public health, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 23 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
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Who cites it
23 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Autonomous conversational agents for loneliness, social isolation, depression, and anxiety in older people without cognitive impairment: Systematic review and meta-analysis.Psychological medicine · 2026Pooled it
- Topical Cellular/Tissue and Molecular Aspects Regarding Nonpharmacological Interventions in Alzheimer's Disease-A Systematic Review.International journal of molecular sciences · 2023Pooled it
- Participant Characteristics Associated With Loneliness Reduction During a Digital Social Robot Intervention Among Older Adults Living Alone in Japan: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Trial
- Technology-Enhanced Peer Support for Depression in Older Adults: Single-Arm Mixed Methods Feasibility Study.JMIR formative research · 2026Article
- Article
- Social Frailty and Social Isolation in Chinese Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Network Analysis.Nursing reports (Pavia, Italy) · 2025Article
- Older and younger adults' perceptions of augmented reality photorealistic avatars as a viable medium for interpersonal communication.Innovation in aging · 2025Article
- Role of Synchronous, Moderated, and Anonymous Peer Support Chats on Reducing Momentary Loneliness in Older Adults: Retrospective Observational Study.JMIR formative research · 2024Observational
- Tech vs. Tradition: ChatGPT and Mindfulness in Enhancing Older Adults' Emotional Health.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Understanding the Sociocultural Dynamics of Loneliness in Southern Spanish Youth.Culture, medicine and psychiatry · 2024Article
- Exploring the impact of information and communication technologies on loneliness and social isolation in community-dwelling older adults: a scoping review of reviews.BMC geriatrics · 2024Article
- A Community-Based Intervention to Enhance Subjective Well-Being in Older Adults: Study Design and Baseline Participant Profiles.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Mapping loneliness through comparative analysis of USA and India using social intelligence analysis.BMC public health · 2024Article
- What kind of a problem is loneliness? Representations of connectedness and participation from a study of telepresence technologies in the UK.Frontiers in digital health · 2024Article
- The Association Between Social Isolation and Incident Dementia Among Older Adults: Evidence From National Health and Aging Trend Study.Innovation in aging · 2024Article
- The Benefits of Technology for Engaging Aging Adults: Findings From the PRISM 2.0 Trial.Innovation in aging · 2024Article
- Social virtual reality helps to reduce feelings of loneliness and social anxiety during the Covid-19 pandemic.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- Understanding Loneliness in Younger People: Review of the Opportunities and Challenges for Loneliness Interventions.Interactive journal of medical research · 2023Article
- Mapping loneliness through social intelligence analysis: a step towards creating global loneliness map.BMJ health & care informatics · 2023Article
- Pandemic upon Pandemic: Middle-Aged and Older Men Who Have Sex with Men Living with HIV Coping and Thriving during the Peak of COVID-19.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundLoneliness and social isolation in older age are considered major public health concerns and research on technology-based solutions is growing rapidly. This scoping review of reviews aims to summarize the communication technologies (CTs) (review question RQ1), theoretical frameworks (RQ2), study designs (RQ3), and positive effects of technology use (RQ4) present in the research field.
methodsA comprehensive multi-disciplinary, multi-database literature search was conducted. Identified reviews were analyzed according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) framework. A total of
resultsThe majority of the included reviews addressed general internet and computer use (82% each) (RQ1). Of the 28 reviews, only one (4%) worked with a theoretical framework (RQ2) and 26 (93%) covered primary studies with quantitative-experimental designs (RQ3). The positive effects of technology use were shown in 55% of the outcome measures for loneliness and 44% of the outcome measures for social isolation (RQ4).
conclusionWhile research reviews show that CTs can reduce loneliness and social isolation in older people, causal evidence is limited and insights on innovative technologies such as augmented reality systems are scarce.
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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.