ArticleBMC public health2026
Addressing loneliness by AI chatbot: a qualitative study of empty-nest elderly.
Article in BMC public health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
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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
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Loneliness and AI chatbot dependence in young adults: the mediating role of perceived social support.BMC psychology · 2026Article
- Factors influencing older adults' intention to use social chatbots: examining technology acceptance, anthropomorphism, authenticity, and artificial intelligence social interaction.Innovation in aging · 2026Article
- Perceived support from AI chatbots and loneliness among higher vocational college students: a short-term three-wave study of social interaction anxiety and perceived social support.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundLoneliness among empty-nest older adults is a growing public health concern with complex psychosocial consequences. AI chatbots are increasingly integrated into daily life, yet little is known about how empty-nest older adults incorporate these agents into their daily interactions to address loneliness.
objectivesThis study examines how empty-nest older adults engage with AI chatbots in routine communication to mitigate loneliness, emphasizing patterns of engagement rather than assessing effectiveness.
methodsSemistructured interviews were conducted to collect data. A total of 18 participants were included in this study. Interview transcriptions were coded and analysed using thematic analysis.
resultsParticipants engaged with the chatbot as a versatile communicative resource that provided a safe outlet for self-expression and narrative voice, fostered experiences of emotional care and empathy, and enabled cognitively and emotionally stimulating recreational interactions. It also supported imaginative role-playing that restored agency and social scripts, served as a source of informal counseling, and facilitated reconnection with both offline and online social networks. Together, these modes represented diverse, experience-based strategies through which the chatbot was woven into daily efforts to manage loneliness.
conclusionsThe findings advance conceptualizations of gerontechnology as a communicative practice and suggest that policy, design, and service frameworks should treat AI companions as socially embedded tools requiring ethical, accessible, and context-sensitive integration. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.
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