Cited by 1,463Health disparities and outcomesAging, Health, and DisabilityAging and Gerontology Research

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 131 of the 131 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; none of the 65 sources its claims cite is checked for support yet.

Social isolation, loneliness and health in old age: a scoping review

Open access
Courtin, Emilie, Knapp, Martin·2017·Health & Social Care in the Community

Abstract

The health and well-being consequences of social isolation and loneliness in old age are increasingly being recognised. The purpose of this scoping review was to take stock of the available evidence and to highlight gaps and areas for future research. We searched nine databases for empirical papers investigating the impact of social isolation and/or loneliness on a range of health outcomes in old age. Our search, conducted between July and September 2013 yielded 11,736 articles, of which 128 items from 15 countries were included in the scoping review. Papers were reviewed, with a focus on the definitions and measurements of the two concepts, associations and causal mechanisms, differences across population groups and interventions. The evidence is largely US-focused, and loneliness is more researched than social isolation. A recent trend is the investigation of the comparative effects of social isolation and loneliness. Depression and cardiovascular health are the most often researched outcomes, followed by well-being. Almost all (but two) studies found a detrimental effect of isolation or loneliness on health. However, causal links and mechanisms are difficult to demonstrate, and further investigation is warranted. We found a paucity of research focusing on at-risk sub-groups and in the area of interventions. Future research should aim to better link the evidence on the risk factors for loneliness and social isolation and the evidence on their impact on health.

Overview

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1111/hsc.12311

Cites

131 of 131 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. Cattan, 1998, Developing evidence base health promotion for older people: a systematic review and survey of health promotion interventions targeting social isolation and loneliness among older people, Internet Journal of Health Promotion, 13, 1
  2. Theeke, 2010a, A current state of the science on loneliness and the health of older adults, Gerontologist, 50, 3

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Metadata

Authors
Courtin, E., & Knapp, M.
Affiliations
  • London School of Economics and Political Science; Personal Social Services Research Unit; London UK
  • London School of Economics and Political Science (GB)
Venue
Health & Social Care in the Community
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2015-12-28
Volume
25
Issue
3
Pages
799-812
ISSN
0966-0410 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W292445073
Cited by
1,463
References
131
Citations by year
2026: 164 · 2025: 175 · 2024: 179 · 2023: 207 · 2022: 219 · 2021: 235 · 2020: 167 · 2019: 62 · 2018: 29 · 2017: 19 · 2016: 4
FWCI
3.27
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Health & Social Care in the Community (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • London School of Economics and Political Science Research Online (London School of Economics and Political Science) (acceptedVersion)
  • London School of Economics and Political Science Research Online (London School of Economics and Political Science) (submittedVersion)
Funders
National Institute for Health Research
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Aging, Health, and Disability
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Aging and Gerontology Research
Keywords
social isolation, loneliness, older adults, health outcomes, depression, cardiovascular health, well-being, causal mechanisms, intervention, risk factors
MeSH terms
Aged, Health Status, Humans, Loneliness, Mental Health, Risk Factors, Social Isolation

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