AIM: To estimate the prevalence of loneliness, social isolation, and their co-occurrence among people living with HIV and to explore factors explaining heterogeneity between estimates.
DESIGN: A systematic review and meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, Cochrane Library, SciELO Citation Index (via Web of Science), Scopus, Embase, PsycArticles, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) were searched from inception until November 1, 2024 for relevant studies.
METHODS: Study eligibility, data extraction, and methodological quality assessment were conducted independently by two reviewers. Random-effects meta-analysis was used to estimate pooled prevalence. Subgroup analyses were performed.
RESULTS: A total of 66 studies were included. The pooled prevalence of loneliness was 46.9% and that of social isolation was 25.9%. However, heterogeneity was very high across studies, and these pooled estimates should therefore be interpreted cautiously. Subgroup analyses suggested regional variation in both loneliness and social isolation. Other subgroup findings should be interpreted cautiously because some subgroup estimates were based on small numbers of studies.
CONCLUSION: Loneliness and social isolation are highly prevalent among people living with HIV. Population-specific intervention strategies are needed to reduce this burden, and future studies should further examine contextual and demographic differences to guide intervention design.
IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND/OR PATIENT CARE: Routine HIV services should include screening and referral pathways for loneliness and social isolation.
IMPACT: This systematic review identified the pooled prevalence of loneliness and social isolation among people living with HIV, highlighting a substantial and clinically relevant burden. The findings may influence HIV nurses’ practice and inform care approaches for other clinical populations experiencing loneliness and social isolation.
Prevalence of loneliness and social isolation among people living with HIV: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Journal of Clinical Nursing [Epub 2026 May 26]. doi: 10.1111/jocn.70366.