Introduction

Loneliness is an adverse situation related to the feeling of sadness that affects the everyday life of a person. Elderly people are prone to feel lonely due to the lack of interaction with friends, illness, widowhood or cognitive impairment. This study aims to integrate the findings about loneliness in elderly people and identify the aspects that influence it.

Materials and Methods

A systematic review following an integrative approach was conducted. The search for information was carried out in 9 databases between 2007 and 2018, from which 36 studies were included in the review.

Results

According to the information found, 4 topics were identified: characteristics of loneliness in elderly people, causes of loneliness, consequences of loneliness, and factors that help reduce loneliness.

Discussion

The literature indicates that loneliness is mainly related to social isolation due to the lack of interaction with people and detachment from family members, generating low quality of life and risk of chronic diseases. Therefore, health professionals should take notice of a holistic health assessment in elderly people.

Conclusions

Studies indicate that there are several aspects influencing loneliness in elderly people as well as the main actions that health professionals can take to intervene in this phenomenon.

        · abstract in Spanish | Portuguese     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )