Interventions to Alleviate Loneliness in Chronic Disease: A Scoping Review on Mechanisms of Change

This scoping review mapped interventions targeting disease-related loneliness among people living with chronic diseases and synthesized their underlying mechanisms of change. A systematic search was conducted across CINAHL, MEDLINE, Academic Search Premier, PsycInfo, AMED, Rehabilitation & Sports Medicine Source, and Embase to identify original studies reporting findings from interventions addressing loneliness among adults with chronic disease. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis to identify shared mechanisms of change. Seven studies representing six unique interventions were included. Three overarching mechanisms of change were identified: learning-oriented support, trusted relationships, and empathic communication. These mechanisms were observed across interventions and appear to influence participant engagement with interventions for disease-related loneliness. Although the evidence base remains limited, these findings highlight key mechanisms that may inform the development and evaluation of supportive interventions for disease-related loneliness.