Social relationships are adaptive and crucial for survival This review presents existing evidence indicating that our social connections to others have powerful influences on health and longevity and that lacking social connection qualifies as a risk factor for premature mortality A systems perspective is presented as a framework by which to move social connection into the realm of public health Individuals, and health-relevant biological processes, exist within larger social contexts including the family, neighborhood and community, and society and culture Applying the social ecological model, this review highlights the interrelationships of individuals within groups in terms of understanding both the causal mechanisms by which social connection influences physical health and the ways in which this influence can inform potential intervention strategies A systems approach also helps identify gaps in our current understanding that may guide future research

Why Social Relationships Are Important for Physical Health: A Systems Approach to Understanding and Modifying Risk and Protection

Loneliness and social isolation are growing public health concerns in our ageing society. Whilst these experiences occur across the life span, 50% of individuals aged over 60 are at risk of social isolation and one-third will experience some degree of loneliness later in life. The aim of this scoping review was to describe the range of interventions to reduce loneliness and social isolation among older adults that have been evaluated; in terms of intervention conceptualisation, categorisation, and components. Three electronic databases (CINAHL, Embase and Medline) were systematically searched for relevant published reviews of interventions for loneliness and social isolation. Inclusion criteria were: review of any type, published in English, a target population of older people and reported data on the categorisation of loneliness and/or social isolation interventions. Data extracted included: categories of interventions and the reasoning underpinning this categorisation. The methodology framework proposed by Arskey and O’Malley and further developed by Levac, et al. was used to guide the scoping review process. A total of 33 reviews met the inclusion criteria, evaluating a range of interventions targeted at older people residing in the community or institutionalised settings. Authors of reviews included in this paper often used the same terms to categorise different intervention components and many did not provide a clear definition of these terms. There were inconsistent meanings attributed to intervention characteristics. Overall, interventions were commonly categorised on the basis of: 1) group or one-to-one delivery mode, 2) the goal of the intervention, and 3) the intervention type. Several authors replicated the categorisation system used in previous reviews. Many interventions have been developed to combat loneliness and social isolation among older people. The individuality of the experience of loneliness and isolation may cause difficulty in the delivery of standardised interventions. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to addressing loneliness or social isolation, and hence the need to tailor interventions to suit the needs of individuals, specific groups or the degree of loneliness experienced. Therefore, future research should be aimed at discerning what intervention works for whom, in what particular context and how.

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Loneliness and social isolation interventions for older adults: a scoping review of reviews

Interventions targeting loneliness and social isolation among the older people: An update systematic review.

The maintenance of well-being, healthcare, and social connection is crucial for older adults (OA) and has become a topic of debate as much of the world faces lockdown during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. OAs have been advised to isolate themselves because they are at higher risk for developing serious complications from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus. Additionally, nursing homes and assisted-living facilities across the country have closed their doors to visitors to protect their residents. Mobile technology such as applications (apps) could provide a valuable tool to help families stay connected, and to help OAs maintain mobility and link them to resources that encourage physical and mental well-being. Apps could address cognitive, visual, and hearing impairments. Our objective was to narratively summarize 15 apps that address physical and cognitive limitations and have the potential to improve OAs' quality of life, especially during social distancing or self-quarantine.

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15 Smartphone Apps for Older Adults to Use While in Isolation During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Introduction: Research examining the effective uses of social media (SM) in public health and medicine, especially in the form of systematic r e views (SRs), has grown considerably in the past decade To our knowledge, no comprehensive synthesis of this literature has been conducted to date Aims and methods : To conduct a systematic review of systematic reviews of the benefits and harms (“effects”) of SM tools and platforms (such as Twitter and Facebook) in public health and medicine To perform a synthesis of this literature and create a ‘living systematic review’ Results: Forty-two (42) high-quality SRs were examined Overall, evidence of SM’s effectiveness in public health and medicine was judged to be minimal However, qualitative benefits for patients are seen in improved psychosocial support and psychological functioning Health professionals benefited from better peer-to-peer communication and lifelong learning Harms on all groups include the impact of SM on mental health, privacy, confidentiality and information reliability Conclusions: A range of negatives and positives of SM in public health and medicine are seen in the SR literature but definitive conclusions cannot be made at this time Clearly better research designs are needed to measure the effectiveness of social technologies For ongoing updates, see the wiki “Effective uses of social media in health: a living systematic review of systematic reviews” http://hlwikislaisubcca/indexphp/Effective_uses_of_social_media_in_healthcare:_a_living_systematic_review_of_reviews

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Effective uses of social media in public health and medicine: a systematic review of systematic reviews

Background: The aging of the population is an inexorable change that challenges governments and societies in every developed country. Based on clinical and empirical data, social isolation is found to be prevalent among elderly people, and it has negative consequences on the elderly’s psychological and physical health. Targeting social isolation has become a focus area for policy and practice. Evidence indicates that contemporary information and communication technologies (ICT) have the potential to prevent or reduce the social isolation of elderly people via various mechanisms. Objective: This systematic review explored the effects of ICT interventions on reducing social isolation of the elderly. Methods: Relevant electronic databases (PsycINFO, PubMed, MEDLINE, EBSCO, SSCI, Communication Studies: a SAGE Full-Text Collection, Communication & Mass Media Complete, Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Digital Library, and IEEE Xplore) were systematically searched using a unified strategy to identify quantitative and qualitative studies on the effectiveness of ICT-mediated social isolation interventions for elderly people published in English between 2002 and 2015. Narrative synthesis was performed to interpret the results of the identified studies, and their quality was also appraised. Results: Twenty-five publications were included in the review. Four of them were evaluated as rigorous research. Most studies measured the effectiveness of ICT by measuring specific dimensions rather than social isolation in general. ICT use was consistently found to affect social support, social connectedness, and social isolation in general positively. The results for loneliness were inconclusive. Even though most were positive, some studies found a nonsignificant or negative impact. More importantly, the positive effect of ICT use on social connectedness and social support seemed to be short-term and did not last for more than six months after the intervention. The results for self-esteem and control over one’s life were consistent but generally nonsignificant. ICT was found to alleviate the elderly’s social isolation through four mechanisms: connecting to the outside world, gaining social support, engaging in activities of interests, and boosting self-confidence. Conclusions: More well-designed studies that contain a minimum risk of research bias are needed to draw conclusions on the effectiveness of ICT interventions for elderly people in reducing their perceived social isolation as a multidimensional concept. The results of this review suggest that ICT could be an effective tool to tackle social isolation among the elderly. However, it is not suitable for every senior alike. Future research should identify who among elderly people can most benefit from ICT use in reducing social isolation. Research on other types of ICT (eg, mobile phone–based instant messaging apps) should be conducted to promote understanding and practice of ICT-based social-isolation interventions for elderly people. [J Med Internet Res 2016;18(1):e18]

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Yi-Ru Regina Chen

Papers

The Effect of Information Communication Technology Interventions on Reducing Social Isolation in the Elderly: A Systematic Review.