Caring for our informal caregivers: scoping review on loneliness interventions and their components

Abstract Background Informal caregivers have an indispensable role in current society, yet they are at risk of experiencing loneliness. In order to protect and support sustainable caregiving, it is important to prevent or reduce loneliness among these groups. Currently, there is no overview of interventions aimed at informal caregiver loneliness and the components of those interventions. Therefore, this study aimed to systematically map available evidence on the components of interventions, practices, and policies targeting loneliness in three distinct caregiver groups: parents, spouses, and young adults. Methods A scoping review was performed to provide an overview of available interventions by socioecological levels (micro, meso, macro), the intervention targets, and the strategies and components used in these interventions. The literature search was conducted in January 2025 across six electronic databases, identifying relevant peer-reviewed studies published from 2015 to 2025. Results Preliminary results indicate that interventions use a range of different strategies to address loneliness in informal caregivers, which can be classified into social support interventions, social interaction interventions, psychological interventions, and mixed interventions. These are delivered at the micro-level, either personal (i.e. targeting the caregiver) or interpersonal (i.e. targeting caregiver and family). Few studies included young adult caregivers in their interventions. Conclusions This review provides valuable insight into available interventions targeting loneliness in parental, spousal, and young adult caregivers. These insights can be used to inform comprehensive multi-level interventions to prevent or reduce loneliness and improve public health. From a public health perspective, there is an urgent need for interventions that go beyond individual-centered strategies only and interventions targeting loneliness in young adult caregivers.