REVIEW article
Front. Aging
Sec. Interventions in Aging
The effectiveness of social support interventions on loneliness among older people in the community: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
Provisionally accepted
- 1Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- 2Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou Province, China
- 3Weng'an County People's Hospital, Weng'an, China
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Background: To combat loneliness among elderly individuals, it is crucial to identify effective strategies that can alleviate the negative impact of loneliness on their overall well-being. Objective: This study evaluated social support programs' impact on loneliness in community-dwelling older adults. The goal was to inform tailored interventions that decrease loneliness and improve quality of life. Methods: We systematically searched ten electronic databases (EMBASE, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI, Weipu, WanFang, CBM) from inception to December 31, 2023, with citation chasing. Included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) tested social support interventions for loneliness reduction.Two independent reviewers extracted participant details, study characteristics, interventions, and outcomes. The methodological rigor of the included studies was assessed by JBI critical appraisal checklists. Results: Nineteen studies met inclusion criteria, with over half from China (n=7) and the United States (n=4). Meta-analysis showed that social support helped alleviate loneliness and the difference was statistically significant [SMD=-0.60, 95%CI (-1.00, -0.20), I2=93%, P=0.003, random effect model]. Subgroup analysis showed significantly lower loneliness scores in experimental groups at less than 3 months [SMD=-0.68, 95%CI (-1.31, -0.06), I2=93%, P=0.03, random effect model]. In addition, multiple-intervention groups also showed significantly lower scores versus controls. The combined result was [SMD=-1.26, 95%CI (-2.20, -0.32), I2=97%, P=0.008, random effect model]. Conclusion: Social support interventions effectively reduce loneliness among community-dwelling older adults. For practical application, community health professionals are encouraged to implement short-term (≤3 months) multicomponent programs that combine emotional, peer, and technological support, delivered through group counseling, tele-support, or structured social activities. Integrating these interventions into routine community nursing services and local age-friendly programs may enhance mental well-being and social connectedness among older adults.
Keywords: social support, Loneliness, older adults, community dwelling, Meta-analysis
Received: 16 Mar 2025; Accepted: 17 Dec 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 WANG, Yao, Li, Wu, Zhang, Zeng and Yang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: YINHUA WANG
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