Key messages from scientific research that's ready to be acted on
Got It, Hide thisHoang P, King JA, Moore S, et al. Interventions Associated With Reduced Loneliness and Social Isolation in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Netw Open. 2022 Oct 3;5(10):e2236676.
In older people, do any types of therapy reduce loneliness and social isolation?
Loneliness and social isolation are common in older adults. Both loneliness and social isolation can increase a person’s risk for serious health conditions, hospitalization, and death.
Reducing loneliness and social isolation and increasing a person’s social support (the support a person receives and their sense of having accessible and quality social ties with social needs being met) may improve their health. It is unclear what types of therapy can meet these needs.
The researchers did a systematic review of studies available up to March 2020. They found 70 randomized controlled trials that included a total of 8259 people.
Key features of the studies were:
People living in long-term care
Compared with control, loneliness was reduced by:
Compared with control, social isolation was reduced by therapy using technology (large reduction).
People living in the community
Compared with control, loneliness was reduced by:
Compared with control, social support was increased by:
In older people, some types of therapy improved loneliness and social support in long-term care and community settings.
Type of therapy | People living in long-term care | People living in the community |
Animal therapy | Animal therapy reduced loneliness by a large amount compared with no therapy (3 studies with 111 people). |
|
Cognitive–behavioural therapy or psychotherapy |
| Cognitive-behavioural therapy or psychotherapy increased social support by a small amount (1 study with 183 people). |
Exercise therapy | Exercise therapy reduced loneliness by a medium amount (3 studies with 675 people). | Exercise therapy reduced loneliness by a small amount compared with no therapy (2 studies with 90 people). |
Music therapy |
| Music therapy reduced loneliness by a small amount (1 study with 357 people). |
Reminiscence therapy | Reminiscence therapy reduced loneliness by a large amount compared with no therapy (1 study with 92 people). | Reminiscence therapy reduced loneliness by a medium amount (1 study with 73 people). |
Social therapy |
| Social therapy increased social support by a large amount (1 study with 22 people). |
Therapy using technology | Therapy using technology reduced social isolation by a large amount (2 studies with 95 people). |
|
Combined or multi-component therapy | Combined or multi-component therapy reduced loneliness by a medium amount (3 studies with 675 people). | Combined or multi-component therapy reduced loneliness by a medium amount (2 studies with 82 people) and increased social support by a small amount (6 studies). |