Department of Psychology, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK.
Manchester Institute of Education, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Child Adolesc Ment Health. 2021 Feb;26(1):17-33. doi: 10.1111/camh.12389. Epub 2020 May 13.
Loneliness is common among youth and is associated with poor physical and mental health, and poor educational outcomes. To date, there have been no meta-analyses of interventions aimed at reducing loneliness among young people.
We conducted meta-analyses of single group and randomised control trials (RCTs) of studies published between 1980 and 2019, which measured loneliness as an outcome in youth ages 25 years or younger. Moderators, including sample demographics and intervention characteristics, that might affect intervention success, were examined.
A total of 39 studies (14 single group and 25 RCTs) were included, and we found evidence that youth loneliness could be reduced via intervention. Moderator analysis - including intervention characteristics, study quality and sample demographics - was also examined.
While interventions were shown to reduce loneliness among youth, the interventions included in the meta-analyses often targeted youth viewed to be at risk - for example those with health concerns - and rarely did the interventions target youth who reported loneliness. There is also no indication of whether youth experienced chronic or transient loneliness. In future work, interventions should be designed specifically for loneliness, with universal programmes helping youth manage their transient feelings of loneliness, and targeted interventions for those suffering from chronic loneliness. There is also a need to look at socioeconomic and other risk factors outside the individual for targeted interventions.
There have been no meta-analyses that have evaluated the effect of interventions for reducing loneliness among children and adolescents. We found intervention programmes targeted at youth are successful at reducing loneliness. Future interventions should be designed specially with loneliness in mind, with (a) universal programmes to help youth manage their experiences of transient loneliness, and (b) targeted interventions for youth reporting chronic loneliness. They should also examine the longer-term outcomes of the interventions. Future interventions should be designed, evaluated and then documented using guidelines on how to write up an intervention evaluation.
孤独在年轻人中很常见，与身心健康状况不佳和教育成果不佳有关。迄今为止，尚无针对减少年轻人孤独感的干预措施的荟萃分析。
我们对 1980 年至 2019 年间发表的单组和随机对照试验（RCT）的研究进行了荟萃分析，这些研究将孤独感作为 25 岁或以下年轻人的结果进行了衡量。研究了可能影响干预效果的调节因素，包括样本人口统计学特征和干预特征。
共纳入 39 项研究（14 项单组研究和 25 项 RCT），我们有证据表明可以通过干预措施降低青年孤独感。还对调节因素分析-包括干预特征、研究质量和样本人口统计学特征-进行了检查。
虽然干预措施表明可以减少年轻人的孤独感，但荟萃分析中纳入的干预措施通常针对被认为有风险的年轻人-例如那些有健康问题的年轻人-而很少针对报告孤独感的年轻人。也没有迹象表明年轻人是否患有慢性或短暂性孤独感。在未来的工作中，干预措施应专门针对孤独感设计，普及计划帮助年轻人管理其短暂的孤独感，针对患有慢性孤独感的年轻人进行有针对性的干预措施。还需要考虑个体以外的社会经济和其他风险因素，以进行有针对性的干预措施。
尚无评估干预措施减少儿童和青少年孤独感效果的荟萃分析。我们发现针对年轻人的干预计划成功地降低了孤独感。未来的干预措施应专门针对孤独感进行设计，包括（a）帮助年轻人管理其短暂孤独感的普及计划，以及（b）针对报告慢性孤独感的年轻人的针对性干预措施。它们还应检查干预措施的长期结果。未来的干预措施应按照编写干预评估的指南进行设计，评估和记录。
