Eenzaamheidsinterventies bij ouderen: ordening en effectiviteit

The main question in this article is whether interventions that are aimed at reducing loneliness among older persons, that are organized on different levels with different goals, are effective. Nine interventions are described; participants in only three interventions demonstrated a significant decline in loneliness. Typical characteristics of these interventions are their focus on specific target groups of older persons, their relatively long duration and the influence of the participants on the methods that were applied in the intervention. Two of the three interventions involve group work. More research is necessary on the effectiveness of interventions, in order to identify those persons for whom an intervention is more and less likely to be effective so that more systematic referral is possible. Also development of individualized trajectories that include a series of interventions on different levels is recommended.