Digital Interventions for Social Isolation and Loneliness among Older Adults: A Systematic Review

The growing aging population across the globe has exerted tremendous challenges on our society. Social isolation and loneliness among the elderly are identified as critical catalysts driving mental health concerns. While digital interventions have played an important role in reshaping current elderly care practice, existing knowledge on their effectiveness on the elderly’s social isolation and loneliness remains scattered. Through a systematic review of 58 identified articles, we found considerable diversity in the conceptualizations and methodologies used to examine the role of digital interventions in elderly well-being. Furthermore, we observed that relatively few studies were grounded in established theoretical frameworks, which may limit the scientific rigor of their findings. We conclude the study with a detailed discussion on potential avenues for future research.