An evaluation of the effectiveness of a community mentoring service for socially isolated older people: a controlled trial
BMC Public HealthPublished 8 April 2011Open access
Andy Dickens, Suzanne H Richards, Annie Hawton, Rod S Taylor, Colin Greaves, Colin Green
Citations63
SJR quartileQ1
SJR score1.36
SNIP1.39
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TL;DR
No substantial evidence is provided supporting the use of community mentoring as an effective means of alleviating social isolation in older people and further evidence is needed on the effectiveness of community-based interventions targeting social isolation.
Abstract
SCIE Research Register for Social Care 105923.
Keywords
Social SciencesMedicineHealth Professions
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