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Wired for companionship: a meta-analysis on social robots filling the void of loneliness in later life
- Truvace record
- TRV-2026-2776raw data (JSON)
- Version
- v1Published
- First published
- Evidence type
- Systematic review or meta-analysis
- Sources
- 1 sourcePeer-reviewed
- sha256
- d922b34d932c…check it
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Loneliness is a significant public health concern affecting over a quarter of older adults worldwide. Emerging research suggests that artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled social robots may offer a viable alternative for providing a new form of social support and reducing loneliness. This meta-analysis evaluates the effectiveness of AI-enabled social robots in reducing loneliness among older adults and examines the conditions under which these interventions are most effective. RESEARCH…
The gain
A meta-analysis of 19 studies with 1,083 older adults found AI-enabled social robots cut loneliness, with a pooled effect size of -0.590 and larger reductions in nursing homes, dementia centers and hospitals than at home.
What this doesn’t fix
Egger's test and the funnel plot showed asymmetry suggesting publication bias that may overestimate the effect, and most studies came from high-income countries, limiting applicability elsewhere.
Sources
1 on file- The Gerontologistdoi:10.1093/geront/gnaf219
Cite this record
v1Truvace Impact Record TRV-2026-2776, v1: “Wired for companionship: a meta-analysis on social robots filling the void of loneliness in later life.” Truvace, 2026-11-12. /record/TRV-2026-2776 (accessed on the day you copy it). sha256 d922b34d932cd696…
Change history
1 versionEvery change made to this record since it was first published, and why. Nothing has changed since it went up.
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