The DOI matches its Crossref record; 174 of the 174 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
A Meta-Analysis of Interventions to Reduce Loneliness
Open accessAbstract
Social and demographic trends are placing an increasing number of adults at risk for loneliness, an established risk factor for physical and mental illness. The growing costs of loneliness have led to a number of loneliness reduction interventions. Qualitative reviews have identified four primary intervention strategies: (a) improving social skills, (b) enhancing social support, (c) increasing opportunities for social contact, and (d) addressing maladaptive social cognition. An integrative meta-analysis of loneliness reduction interventions was conducted to quantify the effects of each strategy and to examine the potential role of moderator variables. Results revealed that single-group pre-post and nonrandomized comparison studies yielded larger mean effect sizes relative to randomized comparison studies. Among studies that used the latter design, the most successful interventions addressed maladaptive social cognition. This is consistent with current theories regarding loneliness and its etiology. Theoretical and methodological issues associated with designing new loneliness reduction interventions are discussed.
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 cited source doesn’t support the claim as written.
In the citing paper
“in contrast, some technological interventions for reducing loneliness, as well as animal therapy or robot pets, were not found to significantly reduce loneliness (Masi et al. 2011; Veronese et al. 2021), although other studies find more promising results of such interventions with older adults (Banks, Willoughby, and Banks 2008; Chen et al. 2020; Gasteiger et al. 2021).”
From AI Companions Reduce Loneliness (2024) · cites this paper as Masi et al. 2011
Checked by a reasoning model — may be wrong.
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“As a potential stressor, chronic loneliness is closely associated with depressive symptoms, maladaptive social cognition, and poor recovery following a mental health crisis.82–84”
From A Longitudinal Study of Loneliness Before the End of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Trajectories, Predictors, and Impact on Chinese Adolescent Mental Health (2024) · cites this paper as [83]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“Interventions that focus on improving social skills and social support are one of the successful strategies that have been used to alleviate loneliness among adult population, as discussed in a previous meta-analysis [163].”
From Association between friendship quality and subjective wellbeing among adolescents: a systematic review (2022) · cites this paper as [163]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“Most current interventions assume loneliness results from lack of opportunities or competencies to form close relationships (Masi et al., 2011).”
From Young Adult Adaptability to the Social Challenges of the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Protective Role of Friendships (2022) · cites this paper as Masi et al., 2011
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“a meta-analysis by Masi et al. (2011) revealed that cognitive approaches (i.e., addressing maladaptive social cognition) were most effective in reducing loneliness compared to other strategies, such as social support.”
From Feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of an internet-based CBT intervention for loneliness in older adults: A pilot RCT (2024) · cites this paper as Masi et al. (2011)
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“as generally effects of loneliness interventions seem to be rather small in randomized group designs (Masi et al., 2011)”
From Feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of an internet-based CBT intervention for loneliness in older adults: A pilot RCT (2024) · cites this paper as Masi et al., 2011
In the citing paper
“Nine out of 10 reviews of these trials report significant reductions in depressive symptoms, 428-436 generally with small effect sizes.”
From Time for united action on depression: a Lancet–World Psychiatric Association Commission (2022) · cites this paper as [436]
In the citing paper
“Bullying at school (and in other settings) is an important target for interventions to avert a strong lifetime risk for depression. 436”
From Time for united action on depression: a Lancet–World Psychiatric Association Commission (2022) · cites this paper as [436]
In the citing paper
“Cacioppo and Cacioppo [30] reviewed data suggesting that experiences of physical warmth/coldness and feelings of social warmth/coldness share similar sensorimotor representations.”
From Loneliness and health in older adults: a mini-review and synthesis (2016) · cites this paper as [30]
In the citing paper
“loneliness or perceived social isolation may play a role in modulating the way in which individuals perceive and mirror the expressions and actions of others, particularly nonverbal cues that may indicate social rejection.”
From Loneliness and health in older adults: a mini-review and synthesis (2016) · cites this paper as [30]
In the citing paper
“Psychological approaches, such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Mindfulness, have also been used to help people change their thinking about social relationships: some promising results have been reported, especially with older adult populations [77].”
From Associations between loneliness and perceived social support and outcomes of mental health problems: a systematic review (2018) · cites this paper as [77]
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
Measuring inconsistency in meta-analyses
Higgins, J. P. T., Thompson, S. G., Deeks, J. J., & Altman, D. G. (2003) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.327.7414.557 · Cited by 63,139
The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation.
Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. (1995) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037//0033-2909.117.3.497 · Cited by 23,245 · cited 1×
“loneliness, intervention, meta-analysis, social cognition The formation of meaningful social connections is an integral part of human nature (Baumeister & Leary, 1995; Cacioppo & Patrick, 2008).”
BackgroundBorenstein, M., Hedges, L. V., Higgins, J. P. T., & Rothstein, H. R. (2009) · doi:10.1002/9780470743386 · Cited by 14,225
Borenstein, M., Hedges, L. V., Higgins, J. P. T., & Rothstein, H. R. (2021) · doi:10.1002/9781119558378 · Cited by 9,799
(2000) · Cited by 9,198
Jacobson, N. S., & Truax, P. (1991) · Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-006x.59.1.12 · Cited by 7,770 · cited 16×
“The revised UCLA Loneliness Scale: Concurrent and discriminant validity evidence.”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialUCLA loneliness scale (version 3): reliability, validity, and factor structure
Russell, D. W. (1996) · Journal of Personality Assessment · doi:10.1207/s15327752jpa6601_2 · Cited by 5,800 · cited 6×
“…these features have also been found to be highly correlated, and their antecedents and consequences have been found to be sufficiently overlapping that loneliness is generally conceptualized and measured as a unidimensional construct (Hawkley et al., 2005; Russell, 1996; Russell et al., 1980).”
BackgroundResultInfluentialThe Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale: concurrent and discriminant validity evidence
Russell, D., Peplau, L. A., & Cutrona, C. E. (1980) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-3514.39.3.472 · Cited by 5,173 · cited 4×
“Although various studies have provided evidence that the experience of loneliness can be partitioned into separable dimensions, including social and emotional loneliness (Weiss, 1973), these features have also been found to be highly correlated, and their antecedents and consequences have been found to be sufficiently…”
BackgroundInfluentialStatistical Methods for Meta-Analysis.
Freeman, P. R., Hedges, L. V., & Olkin, I. (1986) · Biometrics · doi:10.2307/2531069 · Cited by 4,840
Internet paradox: A social technology that reduces social involvement and psychological well-being?
Kraut, R., Patterson, M., Lundmark, V., Kiesler, S., Mukophadhyay, T., & Scherlis, W. (1998) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037/0003-066x.53.9.1017 · Cited by 4,793 · cited 2×
“Kraut et al. (1998): The sample was 93 families with both teens and adults; the mean age was not calculated because of the heterogeneous nature of the sample.”
Background
Research works printed but not linked: 23
- Administration on Aging., 2008, A statistical profile of older Americans Aged 65+
- Allen-Kosal, L.M., 2008, Cooperative learning and cooperative pre-training: An intervention for loneliness in elementary students (Unpublished doctoral dissertation)
- Banks, M.R., 2002, Journal of Gerontology, 57, M428
- 10.1037/0033-2909.117.3.497 · DOI · Paper page
- Brennan, T., 1979, Adolescent loneliness: An exploratory study of social and psychological predispositions and theory
- Cole, S.W., 2007, Genome Biology, 8, R189.181
- Cutrona, C.E., Paper presented at the meeting of the American Psychological Association
- Danese, A., Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 163, 1135
- Horowitz, L.M., 1983, The toll of loneliness: Manifestations, mechanisms, and means of prevention
- Moore, J.A., 1974, Canadian Counsellor, 8, 194
- Peplau, L.A., Miceli, M. & Morasch, B. ( 1982). Loneliness and self-evaluation. In L. A. Peplau & D. Perlman (Eds.), Loneliness: A sourcebook of current theory, research and therapy (pp. 135-151). New York, NY: John Wiley.
- Peplau, L.A., 1982, Loneliness: A sourcebook of current theory, research, and therapy
- Rook, K.S. & Peplau, L.A. ( 1982). Perspectives on helping the lonely. In L. A. Peplau & D. Perlman (Eds.), Loneliness: A sourcebook of current theory, research and therapy (pp. 351-378). New York, NY: John Wiley.
- Rudatsikira, E., 2007, BMC Psychiatry, 67, 1
- Schneider, B., 2005, Being together, working apart
- Seepersad, S.S., 2005, Understanding and helping the lonely: An evaluation of the Luv Program (Unpublished doctoral dissertation)
- Stewart, M., 2009, Canadian Journal of Nursing Research, 41, 55
- Taylor, P., 2010, U.S. Birth rate decline linked to recession
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics., 2003, Families and work in 12 countries 1980-2001
- Van Kordelaar, K.A.C.M., 2004, T. G. Tijdschrift Voor Gerontologie en Geriatrie, 38, 185
- Vinconzi, H., 1987, Journal of Social Behaviour and Personality, 2, 257
- Wilson, D.B., 2002, ES calculation xls
- Young, J.E. ( 1982). Loneliness, depression and cognitive therapy: Theory and application. In L. A. Peplau & D. Perlman (Eds.), Loneliness: A sourcebook of current theory, research and therapy (pp. 379-406). New York, NY : John Wiley.
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 601–700 of 1,007
Williams-Farrelly, M. M., Schroeder, M. W., Li, C., Perkins, A. J., Bakas, T., Head, K. J., Boustani, M. A., & Fowler, N. R. (2024) · Journal of the American Geriatrics Society · doi:10.1111/jgs.18762 · Cited by 32
“In their meta-analysis of interventions to reduce loneliness, Masi and colleagues 52 identified four primary intervention strategies: improving social skills, enhancing social support, increasing opportunities for social contact, and addressing maladaptive social cognition (e.g., cognitive…”
BackgroundLoneliness in the Daily Lives of People With Mood and Psychotic Disorders
Moran, E. K., Shapiro, M., Culbreth, A. J., Nepal, S. K., Ben‐Zeev, D., Campbell, A. T., & Barch, D. M. (2024) · Schizophrenia Bulletin · doi:10.1093/schbul/sbae022 · Cited by 27
“1,2 6 There is remarkably little research assessing trait and momentary loneliness in those with serious mental illness.”
BackgroundGao, Q., Mak, H. W., & Fancourt, D. E. (2024) · Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology · doi:10.1007/s00127-024-02639-9 · Cited by 28
“Biologically, there is growing evidence for the associations between social deficits and worsening inflammation, immune and metabolic processes [3, 8, 9].”
BackgroundInfluentialPredictors of male loneliness across life stages: an Australian study of longitudinal data
Botha, F., & Bower, M. (2024) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-024-18770-w · Cited by 31
“…and time-intensive to change networks and that social skills interventions can have limited success in reducing loneliness, research has found that therapies that work with maladaptive social cognition (e.g., Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) can be successful in reducing loneliness [48, 49].”
BackgroundHow people think about being alone shapes their experience of loneliness
Rodriguez, M., Schertz, K. E., & Kross, E. F. (2025) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/s41467-025-56764-3 · Cited by 44
“Countries were grouped into low, moderate, and high loneliness clusters using k-means clustering based on country-level means, and final selections were based on ease of recruiting participants and ensuring geographical representation (more detailed information provided in Methods ).”
Does meaning protect against loneliness? Exploring empirical studies and theory
Folker, A. P., Lauridsen, S., Hegelund, E. R., Wimmelmann, C. L., & Flensborg‐Madsen, T. (2020) · Health Promotion International · doi:10.1093/heapro/daaa081 · Cited by 27
Omari, O. A., Sabei, S. D. A., Rawajfah, O. A., Sharour, L. M. A., Hashmi, I. A., Qadire, M. I. A., & Khalaf, A. (2021) · Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association · doi:10.1177/10783903211017640 · Cited by 29
“, 2011), perceive themselves as unworthy, have low self-esteem, and experience dysphoria (Masi et al., 2011), depression (Ypsilanti et al.”
BackgroundInfluentialChen, J. T.-H., Wuthrich, V. M., Rapee, R. M., Draper, B., Brodaty, H., Cutler, H., Low, L., Georgiou, A., Johnco, C. J., Jones, M., et al. (2022) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0269981 · Cited by 29
“Furthermore, interventions that target maladaptive social cognition have been shown to have larger effect sizes compared to interventions that enhance social support, improve social skills, or provide opportunities for social intervention [45].”
Wolska, K., & Creaven, A. (2022) · British Journal of Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1111/bjc.12397 · Cited by 27
Bone, J. K., Fancourt, D. E., Fluharty, M., Paul, E., Sonke, J. K., & Bu, F. (2022) · Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology · doi:10.1007/s00127-022-02379-8 · Cited by 26
“Artistic and creative activities may provide opportunities for safe social interactions and addressing maladaptive cognitions, which are the most effective elements of interventions targeting loneliness.(20,21) In a large qualitative study of adults who engaged in the arts, 82% reported that arts engagement helped the…”
BackgroundYang, S., Yang, C., Lee, Y., Hsieh, P., & Lin, Y. (2022) · Geriatrics and gerontology international/Geriatrics & gerontology international · doi:10.1111/ggi.14526 · Cited by 25
Thompson, C., Halcomb, E., & Masso, M. R. (2023) · Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences · doi:10.1111/scs.13151 · Cited by 28
Cheng, J., Sun, X., Zhong, Y., & Li, K. (2023) · Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.3390/bs13020168 · Cited by 25
“Specifically, reliable and intimate connections are based on closeness, sincerity, and camaraderie, which depend on frequent physical contact and continuous daily perception between employees [49].”
BackgroundHutton, P., Morrison, A. P., & Taylor, H. E. (2011) · Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy · doi:10.1017/s135246581100035x · Cited by 25
Weihs, K. L., Wiley, J. F., Crespi, C. M., Krull, J. L., & Stanton, A. L. (2017) · Psycho-Oncology · doi:10.1002/pon.4472 · Cited by 23
Yi, Y., Li, L. M. W., Xiao, Y., Ma, J., Fan, L., & Dai, Z. (2018) · Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience · doi:10.1093/scan/nsy067 · Cited by 26
“social support on loneliness (Masi et al., 2011), with some studies reporting that social support could effectively reduce loneliness (Collins and Benedict, 2006; Ollonqvist et al.”
BackgroundLonely but avoidant—the unfortunate juxtaposition of loneliness and self-disgust
Ypsilanti, A. (2018) · Humanities and Social Sciences Communications · doi:10.1057/s41599-018-0198-1 · Cited by 31
Weiss, L., Voshaar, M. A. H. O., Bohlmeijer, E. T., & Westerhof, G. J. (2020) · Health and Quality of Life Outcomes · doi:10.1186/s12955-020-01416-x · Cited by 27
Chang, E. C., Liu, J., Yi, S., Jiang, X., Li, Q., Wang, R., Tian, W., Gao, X., Li, M., Lucas, A. G., et al. (2020) · Personality and Individual Differences · doi:10.1016/j.paid.2020.110235 · Cited by 27
Parks, A. C., & Boucher, E. M. (2020) · The Journal of Positive Psychology · doi:10.1080/17439760.2020.1789715 · Cited by 24
Cruwys, T., Haslam, C., Haslam, S. A., Rathbone, J. A., & Donaldson, J. L. (2022) · Behavior Therapy · doi:10.1016/j.beth.2022.06.011 · Cited by 23
Loveys, K., Sagar, M., Zhang, X., Fricchione, G., & Broadbent, E. (2021) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/30624 · Cited by 25
“Social support has been shown to be a major protective factor against loneliness in adults [6,12] and an effective intervention strategy for loneliness [4].”
Lonely human and dominant robot: Similarity versus complementary attraction
Yu, L., & Fan, X. (2024) · Psychology and Marketing · doi:10.1002/mar.21975 · Cited by 26
Seewer, N., Skoko, A., Käll, A., Andersson, G., Luhmann, M., Berger, T., & Krieger, T. (2024) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-024-57254-0 · Cited by 27
“In line with a cognitive model of loneliness 20 , previous meta-analyses have suggested that interventions aimed at changing maladaptive social cognitions are the most effective in reducing loneliness and promoting social connectedness 22,23 .”
BackgroundPrevalence and burden of loneliness in COPD: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Alqahtani, J. S., Arowosegbe, A., Aldhahir, A. M., Alghamdi, S. M., Alqarni, A. A., Siraj, R. A., AlDraiwiesh, I. A., Alwafi, H. H., & Oyelade, T. (2024) · Respiratory Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.rmed.2024.107768 · Cited by 24
Schorr, A. V., Yehuda, I., & Tamir, S. (2020) · The journal of nutrition health & aging · doi:10.1007/s12603-020-1540-z · Cited by 25
“Hunger makes us seek food; loneliness prompts us to seek social relationships (15).”
Zeytinoglu, M., Wroblewski, K., Vokes, T., Huisingh-Scheetz, M. J., Hawkley, L. C., & Huang, E. S. (2021) · Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine · doi:10.1177/2333721421989217 · Cited by 30
“Examples of these include those that enhance social support, social skills, and opportunities for social contact, and those that target behavioral adaptation to the maladaptive social cognition associated with loneliness (Masi et al., 2011).”
BackgroundSelf-citationLoneliness, Death Perception, and Spiritual Well-Being in Adult Oncology Patients
Erdoğan, T. K., & Koç, Z. (2021) · Cancer Nursing · doi:10.1097/ncc.0000000000000930 · Cited by 24
“Although loneliness has a self-protective quality in the short term, it can increase cognitive load in the long term.(29) For this reason, all health professionals should be aware of the loneliness levels of oncology patients and its possible results and plan necessary nursing interventions on the subject.”
BackgroundGould, C. E., Carlson, C., Alfaro, A. J., Chick, C. F., BRUCE, M. L., & Forman‐Hoffman, V. L. (2021) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2021.746904 · Cited by 25
“The interventions targeting loneliness primarily focus on the enhancing social skills, providing social support, increasing social access, and/or targeting maladaptive thoughts (8).”
BackgroundImpact of the Heartfulness program on loneliness in high schoolers: Randomized survey study
Iyer, R., Vadlapudi, S., Iyer, L., Kumar, V., Iyer, L., Sriram, P., Tandon, R., Morel, Y., Kunamneni, H., Narayanan, S., et al. (2022) · Applied Psychology Health and Well-Being · doi:10.1111/aphw.12360 · Cited by 23
Suicide prevention: are we doing enough?
Cole‐King, A., Parker, V., Williams, H. L., & Platt, S. D. (2013) · Advances in Psychiatric Treatment · doi:10.1192/apt.bp.110.008789 · Cited by 23
“Loneliness, a key feature of social isolation, predicts depressive symptoms, suicide ideation and behaviour (Masi 2010).”
Perceived social support, loneliness, and later life telomere length following wartime captivity.
Stein, J. Y., Levin, Y., Lahav, Y., Uziel, O., Abumock, H., & Solomon, Z. (2018) · Health Psychology · doi:10.1037/hea0000669 · Cited by 26
Arsenijevic, J., & Groot, W. N. J. (2018) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-018-6004-6 · Cited by 32
“Some authors have argued that there are cross country differences in loneliness among older adults and that they can be attributed to differences in cultural expectations [3].”
BackgroundTelephone-Based Emotional Support for Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Bar-Tur, L., Inbal-Jacobson, M., Brik-Deshen, S., Zilbershlag, Y., Naim, S. P., & Brick, Y. (2021) · Journal of Aging & Social Policy · doi:10.1080/08959420.2021.1924414 · Cited by 26
“Masi et al. (2011) found that addressing maladaptive social cognition was the most successful intervention, better than improving social skills, enhancing social support, and increasing opportunities for social contact.”
BackgroundNeurogenetics and Epigenetics of Loneliness
Bowirrat, A., Elman, I., Dennen, C. A., Gondré-Lewis, M. C., Cadet, J. L., Khalsa, J., Baron, D., Soni, D., Gold, M. S., McLaughlin, T., et al. (2023) · Psychology Research and Behavior Management · doi:10.2147/prbm.s423802 · Cited by 23
“9,10 19 Given such a profound impact on emotional and physical wellbeing, 20 it is reasonable to assume a neurobiological basis for loneliness.”
BackgroundStein, J. Y., Levin, Y., Bachem, R., & Solomon, Z. (2018) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00893 · Cited by 26
“Effective strategies devised to alleviate loneliness are aimed toward challenging such maladaptive cognitions (Masi et al., 2011).”
BackgroundPredictors of Response and Remission to Antidepressants in Geriatric Depression: A Systematic Review
Masse, C., Bennabi, D., Giustiniani, J., Haffen, É., Vandel, P., & Chopard, G. (2018) · Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology · doi:10.1177/0891988718807099 · Cited by 29
Perceptions of loneliness among people accessing treatment for substance use disorders
Ingram, I., Kelly, P. J., Deane, F. P., Baker, A., & Dingle, G. A. (2020) · Drug and Alcohol Review · doi:10.1111/dar.13120 · Cited by 30
The effects of adolescent prosocial behavior interventions: a meta-analytic review
Shin, J., & Lee, B. (2021) · Asia Pacific Education Review · doi:10.1007/s12564-021-09691-z · Cited by 27
McDaniels, B. W., & Subramanian, I. (2022) · International review of neurobiology · doi:10.1016/bs.irn.2022.03.003 · Cited by 25
Li, J., Zhou, X., & Wang, Q. (2022) · Applied Psychology Health and Well-Being · doi:10.1111/aphw.12375 · Cited by 27
Estella, C. L., Continente, X., Mascuñano, A. S., Marí-Dell’Olmo, M., & López, M. J. (2022) · European Journal of Public Health · doi:10.1093/eurpub/ckac100 · Cited by 29
The Risks of Experiencing Severe Loneliness Across Middle and Late Adulthood
Huxhold, O., & Henning, G. (2023) · The Journals of Gerontology Series B · doi:10.1093/geronb/gbad099 · Cited by 36
“Specifically, Masi et al. (2011) deducted in their meta-analysis that only those interventions are successful that address maladaptive social cognitions.”
Chua, C. M. S., Chua, J. Y. X., & Shorey, S. (2023) · Aging & Mental Health · doi:10.1080/13607863.2023.2237919 · Cited by 25
“Social interventions (Masi et al., 2011) and educational interventions (Cohen-Mansfield & Perach, 2015) were shown to effectively address loneliness.”
BackgroundResultInfluentialWenig, V., Heumann, E., Stock, C., Busse, H., Negash, S., Pischke, C. R., & Heinrichs, K. (2023) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2023.1284460 · Cited by 26
“Interventions to reduce loneliness should focus on improving social skills and increasing social support and opportunities for social contact including group based physical activity (62).”
BackgroundWood, E. H., Jepson, A. S., & Stadler, R. (2018) · Event Management · doi:10.3727/152599518x15346132863283 · Cited by 23
“Past studies have shown very different individual responses to arts interventions (e.g., Gleibs et al., 2011; Masi et al., 2011), and while the social setting is important to be maintained, the arts activity itself needs to allow for individualisation in order to produce valuable results.”
Effective Coping with Loneliness: A Review
Rokach, A. (2018) · Open Journal of Depression · doi:10.4236/ojd.2018.74005 · Cited by 28
“As Olds and Schwartz (2009) indicated “Although increased social participation may not ultimately offer lasting, deeply personal, and intimate relationships, such participation may provide company, a sense of belonging, and guidance and advice that one gets from acquaintances and friends.”
BackgroundEmotional experiences and psychological wellbeing in 51 countries during the COVID-19 pandemicPreprint
Sun, R., Balabanova, A., Bajada, C. J., Liu, Y., Kriuchok, M., Voolma, S.-R., Đurić, M., Mayer, C., Constantinou, M., Chichua, M., et al. (2020) · PsyArXiv (OSF Preprints) · doi:10.31234/osf.io/r7xaz · Cited by 25
Understanding loneliness in late life
Huxhold, O., & Fiori, K. L. (2024) · Current Opinion in Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2024.101801 · Cited by 28
Shvedko, A. V., Thompson, J. L., Greig, C. A., & Phillips, A. C. (2018) · Pilot and Feasibility Studies · doi:10.1186/s40814-018-0379-0 · Cited by 25
“The disruption of established social patterns or poor quality of social relationships negatively impacts quality of life and well-being in older adults and is highly associated with loneliness [2, 3].”
BackgroundEvaluation of an intervention targeting loneliness and isolation for older people in North Wales
Roberts, J. R., & Windle, G. (2019) · Perspectives in Public Health · doi:10.1177/1757913919868752 · Cited by 26
Badri, M. A., Khaili, M. A., Albahar, M., Yang, G., Reynhout, G., & Rashdi, A. A. (2021) · Journal of Child and Family Studies · doi:10.1007/s10826-020-01891-2 · Cited by 22
Loneliness among African international students in Portugal
Neto, F. F. M. (2021) · Journal of International Students · doi:10.32674/jis.v11i2.1379 · Cited by 34
Lau, J. Y. F., Shariff, R., & Meehan, A. J. (2021) · Behaviour Research and Therapy · doi:10.1016/j.brat.2021.103829 · Cited by 28
Fuller, S. M., Kotwal, A., Tha, S. H., Hill, D., Perissinotto, C. M., & Myers, J. J. (2022) · Journal of Applied Gerontology · doi:10.1177/07334648221120458 · Cited by 24
“Additionally, loneliness and social isolation are distinct yet related concepts and often require different strategies and interventions (Masi et al., 2011; NASEM, 2020).”
BackgroundIn-person interventions to reduce social isolation and loneliness: An evidence and gap map
Welch, V. A., Ghogomu, E. T., Dowling, S., Barbeau, V. I., Al‐Zubaidi, A. A. A., Beveridge, E., Bondok, M., Desai, P., Doyle, R., Huang, J. X., et al. (2024) · Campbell Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/cl2.1408 · Cited by 30
Sha, S., Loveys, K., Qualter, P., Shi, H., Krpan, D., & Galizzi, M. M. (2024) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-024-19153-x · Cited by 23
“While there are alternative intervention approaches for loneliness, social prescribing is viewed by individuals and service providers as helpful [7] and cost-effective [56, 57].”
BackgroundMethodChang, E. C., Chang, O. D., Martos, T., Sallay, V., Zettler, I., Steca, P., D’Αddario, M., Boniwell, I., Pop, A., Tarragona, M., et al. (2018) · The Journal of Positive Psychology · doi:10.1080/17439760.2018.1545042 · Cited by 25
Tsai, S. (2015) · Medical Science Monitor · doi:10.12659/msm.891086 · Cited by 26
Loneliness and emotion regulation: Implications of having social anxiety disorder
Eres, R., Lim, M. H., Lanham, S., Jillard, C., & Bates, G. W. (2020) · Australian Journal of Psychology · doi:10.1111/ajpy.12296 · Cited by 22
Physician Wellness in Orthopedic Surgery
Smith, J. M., Boe, E. A., & Will, R. (2020) · Orthopedic Clinics of North America · doi:10.1016/j.ocl.2020.08.004 · Cited by 21
Social Prescribing: A Review of the Literature
Dingle, G. A., & Sharman, L. S. (2022) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-06932-1_8 · Cited by 21
Sex (similarities and) differences in friendship jealousy
Krems, J. A., Williams, K. E. G., Merrie, L. A., Kenrick, D. T., & Aktipis, A. (2021) · Evolution and Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2021.11.005 · Cited by 25
Risk factors for loneliness among older people in a Nordic regional context – a longitudinal study
Nyqvist, F., Näsman, M., Hemberg, J. A. V., & Nygård, M. (2021) · Ageing and Society · doi:10.1017/s0144686x21001707 · Cited by 27
“So far, there is no consensus as to how to reduce loneliness most efficiently (Masi et al., 2011; Cohen-Mansfield and Perach, 2015; Coll-Planas et al., 2017).”
BackgroundLoneliness Versus Distress: A Comparison of Emotion Regulation Profiles
Tan, A. J., Mancini, V. O., Gross, J. J., Goldenberg, A., Badcock, J. C., Lim, M. H., Becerra, R., Jackson, B., & Preece, D. A. (2022) · Behaviour Change · doi:10.1017/bec.2022.18 · Cited by 21
“, a person may feel lonely despite having social contacts), and thus, these social-based interventions have been largely unsuccessful in alleviating loneliness, yielding only small effect sizes (Masi et al., 2011).”
BackgroundChildhood Adversity, Emotional Well-Being, Loneliness, and Optimism: a National Study
Mumford, E. A., Copp, J. E., & MacLean, K. (2022) · Adversity and Resilience Science · doi:10.1007/s42844-022-00084-8 · Cited by 29
Prevalence of Loneliness in Older Adults: A Scoping Review
Schroyen, S., Janssen, N., Duffner, L. A., Veenstra, M. Y., Pyrovolaki, E., Salmon, É., & Adam, S. (2023) · Health & Social Care in the Community · doi:10.1155/2023/7726692 · Cited by 25
“At the individual level, meta-analysis identifes two successful strategies [53]: (1) improving social skills (e.g., improving conversation skills) and (2) addressing maladaptive social cognition through cognitive behavioral therapy (e.g., teaching people to identify automatic negative thoughts and…”
Lemay, E. P., Cutri, J. N., & Teneva, N. (2024) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/pspi0000451 · Cited by 26
Feng, F., Li, H., & Zhang, T. (2024) · BMC Psychology · doi:10.1186/s40359-024-01950-z · Cited by 21
Loneliness as Moderator Between Trauma and Posttraumatic Growth
Zeligman, M. R., Bialo, J. A., Brack, J. L., & Kearney, M. A. (2017) · Journal of Counseling & Development · doi:10.1002/jcad.12158 · Cited by 29
Pool, M. S., Agyemang, C. O., & Smalbrugge, M. (2017) · European Journal of Public Health · doi:10.1093/eurpub/ckx178 · Cited by 26
El reto de la soledad en la vejez
Lezaun, J. Y., Sarasola, A. C., Chamorro, S. H., Hernandis, S. P., Canals, S. R. I., & Talavera, C. S. (2018) · ZERBITZUAN · doi:10.5569/1134-7147.66.05 · Cited by 39
Loneliness in adolescence: prevalence, developmental contexts, and interventions
Verity, L., Burke, L., & Qualter, P. (2025) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1696981 · Cited by 25
Loneliness, older people and a proposed social work response
Hagan, R. J. (2020) · Journal of Social Work · doi:10.1177/1468017320927630 · Cited by 26
“One meta-analysis concluded that work addressing ‘maladaptive social cognition’ would be most valuable (Masi et al., 2011).”
BackgroundPhillips, B. E., Theeke, L. A., & Sarosi, K. M. (2020) · International Journal of Nursing Sciences · doi:10.1016/j.ijnss.2020.10.001 · Cited by 20
“Prior interventions studies of adults with fear [28], loneliness [29], and anger [30] suggest that practices that offer therapeutic support such as increasing social contact and techniques for relaxation have been successful in reducing symptoms of negative emotions.”
BackgroundStefanidou, T., Wang, J., Morant, N. J., Lloyd‐Evans, B., & Johnson, S. (2021) · BMC Psychiatry · doi:10.1186/s12888-021-03138-w · Cited by 24
Fekete, C., Tough, H., Arora, M., Hasnan, N., Joseph, C., Popa, D., Strøm, V., & Middleton, J. W. (2021) · International Journal of Public Health · doi:10.3389/ijph.2021.619823 · Cited by 21
“Furthermore, cognitive behavioral therapy was shown effective to enhance perceived social support and mental health after myocardial infarction [46] and is described as promising approach to intervene on maladaptive social cognitions in relation to feelings of loneliness or low belongingness [45].”
BackgroundThe Long-Term Public Health Impact of Social Distancing on Brain Health: Topical Review
Kumar, A., & Salinas, J. (2021) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph18147307 · Cited by 24
“Importantly, despite examples of significant findings with notable magnitude of effects, there are a limited number of community-based intervention studies compared to the more common primary care and home-based interventions [92].”
BackgroundResultRodriguez, M., Osborn, T. L., Gan, J. Y., Weisz, J. R., & Bellet, B. W. (2022) · Transcultural Psychiatry · doi:10.1177/13634615221099143 · Cited by 22
Winfield, A., Sugar, C., & Fenesi, B. (2023) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0283227 · Cited by 24
“Furthermore, social isolation in childhood can result in poor sleep patterns, sleep difficulties, and decreased executive functioning, including the use of self-control and time management [82,85,91].”
BackgroundSocial Risk Factors That Increase Cardiovascular and Breast Cancer Risk
Obeidat, O., Charles, K., Akhter, N., & Tong, A. T. (2023) · Current Cardiology Reports · doi:10.1007/s11886-023-01957-9 · Cited by 20
“Changes in society’s structure and demographics have increased the risk of loneliness among individuals [85].”
BackgroundHind, D., Mountain, G. A., Gossage-Worrall, R., Walters, S. J., Duncan, R., Newbould, L., Rex, S., Jones, C., Bowling, A., Cattan, M., et al. (2014) · Public Health Research · doi:10.3310/phr02070 · Cited by 22
Timpano, K. R., Çek, D., Rubenstein, L. M., Murphy, D. L., & Schmidt, N. B. (2014) · Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy · doi:10.1891/0889-8391.28.4.264 · Cited by 22
“Future research is warranted; should a similar link be identified in clinical populations, potential treatment implications could be considered (Masi et al., 2011).”
BackgroundBöger, A., Wetzel, M., & Huxhold, O. (2016) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-658-12502-8_18 · Cited by 25
Lykke, S., & Handberg, C. (2019) · Global Qualitative Nursing Research · doi:10.1177/2333393619831661 · Cited by 19
“Evidence shows that interventions developed on a theoretical basis and including group-based interventions to alleviate loneliness seem more likely to be effective (Dickens et al., 2011; Masi et al., 2011; Savikko et al., 2010).”
BackgroundArnold, A. J., & Winkielman, P. (2020) · Social Neuroscience · doi:10.1080/17470919.2020.1809516 · Cited by 22
Community-based research and approaches to loneliness prevention
Barke, J. (2017) · Working with Older People · doi:10.1108/wwop-10-2016-0032 · Cited by 20
Liu, Y., Meng, H., Conner, K. O., Qiao, M., & Liu, D. (2021) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.564666 · Cited by 19
“Studies of Masi and colleagues suggest that loneliness can be reduced by addressing abnormal cognition and social skills training (Masi et al., 2011).”
BackgroundPsychosocial variables and self-rated health in young adult obese women
Smith, M. J., Theeke, L., Culp, S., Clark, K., & Pinto, S. (2014) · Applied Nursing Research · doi:10.1016/j.apnr.2013.11.004 · Cited by 19
“There are limited interventions that have been tested for loneliness but Masi, Chen, Hawlkey, and Cacioppo (2011) reported in a recentmeta-analysis that interventions targeting the maladapted cognitive processes, which are also linked to poor self-esteem, will likely be most effective (Masi et al., 2011).”
BackgroundHelping Students Make Meaningful Connections: A Cross-Sectional Survey of College Student Loneliness
Wodika, A. B., Lanier, J., Almeda, J., Richter, A., & Schalasky, G. (2024) · American Journal of Health Education · doi:10.1080/19325037.2024.2396586 · Cited by 24
“Defining the importance of a meaningful connection (not just quantity of connections but quality) is important for maintaining relationships to enhance social connection (Lodder et al., 2017; Masi et al., 2011; Richtel, 2022).”
Rigon, A., Duff, M. C., & Beadle, J. N. (2018) · Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society · doi:10.1017/s1355617718001108 · Cited by 21
Loneliness-based impaired reward system pathway: Theoretical and clinical analysis and application
Wilkialis, L., Rodrigues, N. B., Majeed, A., Lee, Y. L., Lipsitz, O., Gill, H., Tamura, J. K., Nasri, F., Lui, L. M. W., Siegel, A. N., et al. (2021) · Psychiatry Research · doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2021.113800 · Cited by 24
The implications of loneliness among school principals
Dor-Haim, P., & Oplatka, İ. (2021) · International Journal of Educational Management · doi:10.1108/ijem-12-2020-0564 · Cited by 19
Domènech‐Abella, J., Gabarrell‐Pascuet, A., Faris, L. H., Cristóbal-Narváez, P., Félez-Nóbrega, M., Mortier, P., Vilagut, G., Olaya, B., Alonso, J., & Haro, J. M. (2021) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2021.05.125 · Cited by 21
Engel, L., Lee, Y. Y., Le, L. K., Lal, A., & Mihalopoulos, C. (2021) · Mental Health & Prevention · doi:10.1016/j.mhp.2021.200212 · Cited by 18
“Loneliness is defined as the discrepancy between a person ’ s desired and actual social relationships (Masi et al., 2011).”
BackgroundInfluentialIpsen, C., & Repke, M. A. (2021) · Disability and health journal · doi:10.1016/j.dhjo.2021.101220 · Cited by 23
“Live” Together with You: Livestream Views Mitigate the Effects of Loneliness on Well-being
Goh, Z. H., Tandoc, E. C., & Ng, B. (2021) · Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media · doi:10.1080/08838151.2021.1994970 · Cited by 19
“For example, certain cognitive biases triggered by loneliness may cause people to perceive their social environment as threatening (Ng & Lee, 2020) and become cynical with social encounters (Masi et al., 2011).”
BackgroundLonergan, M. E., Hooker, S. A., Levy, R. J., & Ricco, J. A. (2022) · The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine · doi:10.3122/jabfm.2022.03.210461 · Cited by 19
“loneliness; however, challenging maladaptive social cognition is the most successful intervention and a necessary component to effective social prescribing efforts.(27) Lonely patients may have negative automatic thoughts about potential social interactions, which prevent them from engaging socially.”
BackgroundGrillich, L., Titscher, V., Klingenstein, P., Kostial, E., Emprechtinger, R., Klerings, I., Sommer, I., Nikitin, J., & Laireiter, A. (2023) · European Journal of Public Health · doi:10.1093/eurpub/ckad006 · Cited by 21
Zarling, A. L., Kim, J., Russell, D. W., & Cutrona, C. E. (2023) · Journal of the American Geriatrics Society · doi:10.1111/jgs.18345 · Cited by 22
Metadata
- Authors
- Masi, C. M., Chen, H.-Y., Hawkley, L. C., & Cacioppo, J. T.
- Affiliations
- University of Chicago (US)
- Corresponding author
- Masi, Christopher M.
- Venue
- Personality and Social Psychology Review
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2010-08-17
- Volume
- 15
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 219-266
- ISSN
- 1088-8683 (ISSN-L)
- 1532-7957
- PMC
- PMC3865701
- OpenAlex
- W2138867401
- Cited by
- 1,995
- References
- 168
- Citations by year
- 2026: 149 · 2025: 211 · 2024: 212 · 2023: 205 · 2022: 214 · 2021: 231 · 2020: 221 · 2019: 130 · 2018: 90 · 2017: 92 · 2016: 54 · 2015: 67 · 2014: 46 · 2013: 40 · 2012: 18
- FWCI
- 4.14
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- europepmc.org
- Locations
- Personality and Social Psychology Review (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (Z99 RG999999, 5r01ag036433-02)
- National Institute on Aging (R01-AG036433, K08AG027200, R01AG034052)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion
- Keywords
- loneliness, social skills training, social support, social contact, intervention effectiveness, moderators, randomized controlled trials, non-randomized studies
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Health Promotion, Humans, Loneliness, Psychotherapy, Research Design, Social Adjustment, Social Perception, Social Support
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
