The DOI matches its Crossref record; 21 of the 21 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Escape loneliness by going digital: A quantitative and qualitative evaluation of a Dutch experiment in using ECT to overcome loneliness among older adults
Open accessAbstract
BACKGROUND: This study evaluates the outcomes of an Internet-at-home intervention experiment that intended to decrease loneliness among chronically ill and physically handicapped older adults through introducing them to the use of an electronic communication facility. METHOD: To determine the effectiveness of the experiment in terms of reducing loneliness, 15 older adults were interviewed three times: shortly before the start, two years later and immediately after termination of the experiment, while their loneliness scores at zero and post-measurement were compared with those of a control group. RESULTS: Both the participants and the control persons experienced a reduction in loneliness over time. However, the reduction was only significant for the intervention participants. Moreover, the changes in loneliness were significantly greater among the participants compared to the control persons. When looking more in detail, the effect of the experiment was only significant regarding emotional loneliness and among the highest educated. Findings of the qualitative research enabled us to understand the mechanisms through which the intervention helped alleviate loneliness. E-mail was found to facilitate social contact. Furthermore, the computer and Internet were often used to pass the time, taking people's minds off their loneliness. Unexpectedly, the intervention also improved people's self-confidence. CONCLUSION: The decline in loneliness is likely to be greater if persons under more favorable circumstances are selected and if more social functions of the Internet are used.
Overview
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
The source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“There is a growing focus on technology-based community interventions, including those offered by telephone, Internet, and iPad/smartphone applications, with findings demonstrating promising results in reducing social isolation among older adults (43–45).”
From Telephone-based group mental health support for older adults in central Canada: pilot acceptability and effectiveness findings of The CONNECT Program (2025) · cites this paper as [44]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“Seven out of 12 studies (58%) that recruited explicitly targeted participants reported positive effects on outcomes [13,56,67,71,75,78,79], compared with 16/20 (80%) studies with no explicit targeting [52-55,59,60,63,65,66,68-70,73,74,76,81].”
From Interventions targeting social isolation in older people: a systematic review (2011) · cites this paper as [79]
In the citing paper
“At the three-year follow-up, intervention group participants reported a significantly greater reduction in overall loneliness, in comparison with the control group”
From Interventions targeting social isolation in older people: a systematic review (2011) · cites this paper as [79]
In the citing paper
“while no difference was observed on the sub-scales of social and emotional loneliness.”
From Interventions targeting social isolation in older people: a systematic review (2011) · cites this paper as [79]
In the citing paper
“This compares with five out of 11 (45%) one-to-one interventions [59,71,78,79,81].”
From Interventions targeting social isolation in older people: a systematic review (2011) · cites this paper as [79]
In the citing paper
“as did one of the four (25%) interventions offering internet training [79].”
From Interventions targeting social isolation in older people: a systematic review (2011) · cites this paper as [79]
In the citing paper
“One out of the four (25%) interventions delivered by IT instructors led to beneficial effects [79].”
From Interventions targeting social isolation in older people: a systematic review (2011) · cites this paper as [79]
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Citations
Cites
Loneliness: the experience of emotional and social isolation
Weiss, R. S. (1974) · Cited by 2,513
Loneliness: A Source Book of Current Theory, Research and Therapy
Blazer, D. G. (1983) · Journal of Gerontology · doi:10.1093/geronj/38.4.492 · Cited by 2,139
The Development of a Rasch-Type Loneliness Scale
de Jong-Gierveld, J., & Kamphuls, F. (1985) · Applied Psychological Measurement · doi:10.1177/014662168500900307 · Cited by 1,291 · cited 8×
“Degree of loneliness was measured with the aid of the loneliness scale developed by de Jong Gierveld and Kamphuis (1985).”
MethodInfluentialCATTAN, M., WHITE, M., BOND, J., & LEARMOUTH, A. (2005) · Ageing and Society · doi:10.1017/s0144686x04002594 · Cited by 1,038
Digital Democracy: Issues of Theory and Practice
Hacker, K. L., & van Dijk, J. A. G. M. (2000) · SAGE Publications Ltd eBooks · doi:10.4135/9781446218891 · Cited by 415
White, H., McConnell, E., Clipp, E., Branch, L. G., Sloane, R., Pieper, C., & Box, T. L. (2002) · Aging & Mental Health · doi:10.1080/13607860220142422 · Cited by 387
Dykstra, P. A., & Fokkema, T. (2007) · Basic and Applied Social Psychology · doi:10.1080/01973530701330843 · Cited by 347
Self-citationLiving Arrangements and Social Networks of Older Adults
Bedford, V. H., Knipscheer, C. P. M., Gierveld, J. D. J., van Tilburg, T. G., & Dykstra, P. A. (1996) · Journal of Marriage and the Family · doi:10.2307/353740 · Cited by 287
Gender and the Internet: Causes of Variation in Access, Level, and Scope of Use*
Wasserman, I. M., & Richmond‐Abbott, M. (2005) · Social Science Quarterly · doi:10.1111/j.0038-4941.2005.00301.x · Cited by 285
A Sociology of Friendship and Kinship.
Rosenberg, G. S., & Allan, G. A. (1981) · Contemporary Sociology A Journal of Reviews · doi:10.2307/2067352 · Cited by 279
White, H., McConnell, E., Clipp, E., Bynum, L., Teague, C., Navas, L., Craven, S., & Halbrecht, H. (1999) · Journal of Applied Gerontology · doi:10.1177/073346489901800306 · Cited by 261
The Effects of a Special Computer Network on Caregivers of Persons with Alzheimer??s Disease
BRENNAN, P. F., MOORE, S. M., & SMYTH, K. A. (1995) · Nursing Research · doi:10.1097/00006199-199505000-00007 · Cited by 242
Loneliness among Older Adults in the Netherlands, Italy, and Canada: A Multifaceted Comparison
van Tilburg, T. G., Havens, B., & Gierveld, J. D. J. (2004) · Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement · doi:10.1353/cja.2004.0026 · Cited by 142
Dykstra, P. A. (1993) · Journal of Social and Personal Relationships · doi:10.1177/0265407593103004 · Cited by 94
The Use of Interactive Computer Services To Enhance the Quality of Life for Long-Term Care Residents
McConatha, D., McConatha, J. T., & Dermigny, R. (1994) · The Gerontologist · doi:10.1093/geront/34.4.553 · Cited by 84
A COMPUTER‐BASED INTERVENTION FOR THE EDUCATION AND THERAPY OF INSTITUTIONALIZED OLDER ADULTS
McConatha, J. T., McConatha, D., Deaner, S. L., & Dermigny, R. (1995) · Educational Gerontology · doi:10.1080/0360127950210202 · Cited by 70
Next of (Non)kin. The Importance of Relationships for Older Adults Well Being
C., J., & Dykstra, P. A. (1991) · Population · doi:10.2307/1533323 · Cited by 68
Widening Information Gaps and Policies of Prevention.
Johannes, A. G. M. (2000) · Cited by 38
Surfende senioren, kansen en bedreigingen van ict voor ouderen
Steyaert, J., Klumper, O., & de Haan, J. (2004) · Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) · Cited by 11
Kam-shing, Y. (2002) · The British Journal of Social Work · doi:10.1093/bjsw/32.8.1037 · Cited by 9
Esc@pe ... als je wereld kleiner wordt
Steyaert, J. (2004) · Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) · Cited by 3
Research works printed but not linked: 6
- de Haan J, 2004, Jaarboek ICT en samenleving: Beleid in praktijk, 225
- de Jong Gierveld J, 1984, Eenzaamheid: Een meersporig onderzoek [Loneliness: A multitrack study]
- de Jong Gierveld J, 1999, Gerõn, Tijdschrift voor Sociale Gerontologie, 1, 5
- Linnemann MA, 1996, Een eenzaam (s)lot?: Een integratie van verklaringen van eenzaamheid onder ouderen boven de 75 jaar [Destined for loneliness: An integration of explanations of loneliness among the over-75s] PhD, Dissertation
- van Baarsen B, 2001, How's life? Adaptation to widowhood in later life and the consequences of partner death on the experienced emotional and social loneliness.
- van Dijk L, 2000, Digitalisering van de leefwereld, een onderzoek naar informatie- en communicatietechnologie en sociale ongelijkheid; Eindrapport [Digitalisation of the living environment, a study into information and communication technology and social inequality: A final report].
Cited by
Sorted by citations
A Meta-Analysis of Interventions to Reduce Loneliness
Masi, C. M., Chen, H.-Y., Hawkley, L. C., & Cacioppo, J. T. (2011) · Personality and Social Psychology Review · doi:10.1177/1088868310377394 · Cited by 1,995
“Although few studies have evaluated this approach, one study found mutual help groups reduced psychiatric symptoms, hospitalizations, and social isolation among the mentally ill (Galanter, 1988). According to Perese and Wolf (2005), one way to increase opportunities for social interaction is befriending, which “aims t…”
BackgroundInfluentialChen, Y.-R. R., & Schulz, P. J. (2016) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/jmir.4596 · Cited by 874
Interventions to reduce social isolation and loneliness among older people: an integrative review
Gardiner, C., Geldenhuys, G., & Gott, M. (2016) · Health & Social Care in the Community · doi:10.1111/hsc.12367 · Cited by 910
Loneliness and Social Internet Use: Pathways to Reconnection in a Digital World?
Nowland, R., Necka, E. A., & Cacioppo, J. T. (2018) · Perspectives on Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/1745691617713052 · Cited by 783
A review of Internet use among older adults
Hunsaker, A., & Hargittai, E. (2018) · New Media & Society · doi:10.1177/1461444818787348 · Cited by 770
Metadata
- Authors
- Fokkema, T., & Knipscheer, K.
- Affiliations
- Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute (NL)
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (NL)
- Corresponding author
- Fokkema, T.
- ORCID
- Fokkema, T.
- Venue
- Aging & Mental Health
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2007-09
- Volume
- 11
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 496-504
- ISSN
- 1360-7863 (ISSN-L)
- 1364-6915
- OpenAlex
- W2121289794
- Cited by
- 230
- References
- 21
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 17 · 2021: 21 · 2020: 20 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 20 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 16 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 19 · 2012: 9
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- research.vu.nl
- Licence
- other-oa
- Locations
- Aging & Mental Health (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- KNAW research portal (Royal Academy of Art and Sciences (KNAW)) (publishedVersion)
- VU Research Portal (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Funders
- VSB Fonds
- Nederlands Interdisciplinair Demografisch Instituut
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Geriatrics and Gerontology › Technology Use by Older Adults
- Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Aging, Health, and Disability
- Keywords
- loneliness, older adults, digital communication, email, social contact, emotional loneliness, chronic disease, physical disability, self-confidence, digital technology use
- MeSH terms
- Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Female, Humans, Interviews as Topic, Male, Netherlands, Social Isolation, User-Computer Interface, Internet
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
