Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, 722 W. 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA.
Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA*; National University Health System, Singapore.
Perspect Public Health. 2024 Jan;144(1):31-38. doi: 10.1177/17579139221106579. Epub 2022 Jul 11.
To evaluate evidence on loneliness interventions that have been assessed and found effective, both for remediation and addressing fundamental causes of loneliness; to consider why population-level primary prevention strategies targeting fundamental causes are necessary, and determine areas for future research; and to outline an integrated approach to prevention considering roles for the Public Health system.
We conducted a review of systematic reviews to identify effective loneliness interventions and classified them in our Population-Prevention Matrix according to public health impact, amount of individual effort required, and level of prevention. We also highlighted emerging interventions that have yet to be formally evaluated.
We identified a range of preventive or therapeutic approaches, and a dearth of population-level primary prevention interventions targeting fundamental causes of loneliness. Filling this gap will be essential in addressing the loneliness epidemic, and we provided emerging examples of population-level primary prevention interventions that may inform future efforts.
Based on evidence to date, we suggest an integrated approach to prevention with significant roles for the US Public Health system, including its function as Chief Health Strategist to lead and guide multisystem approaches to loneliness prevention, with a particular focus on population-level primary prevention strategies.
评估已评估并被发现有效的孤独干预措施的证据，这些措施既可以用于补救，也可以解决孤独的根本原因；考虑为什么需要针对根本原因的人群一级预防策略，确定未来研究的领域；并概述考虑公共卫生系统作用的综合预防方法。
我们对系统评价进行了综述，以确定有效的孤独干预措施，并根据公共卫生影响、所需个体努力程度和预防水平将其分类到我们的人群预防矩阵中。我们还突出了尚未经过正式评估的新兴干预措施。
我们确定了一系列预防或治疗方法，但针对孤独根本原因的人群一级预防干预措施却很少。填补这一空白对于解决孤独流行病至关重要，我们提供了一些新兴的人群一级预防干预措施的例子，这些例子可能为未来的努力提供信息。
根据迄今为止的证据，我们建议采取一种综合的预防方法，美国公共卫生系统应发挥重要作用，包括作为首席卫生战略家的职能，领导和指导多系统的孤独预防方法，特别关注人群一级的预防策略。
