Table 1 Search strategy

1.

befriend$. ti, ab.

2.

(home adj visit$). ti, ab.

3.

(visit$ adj program$). ti, ab.

4.

mentor$3. ti, ab, kw.

5.

Mentors/

6.

4 not 5

7.

psychosocial. ti, ab.

8.

network$3. ti, ab, kw.

9.

prevent$3. ti, ab.

10.

promot$. ti, ab.

11.

support. ti, ab, kw.

12.

self-help. ti, ab, kw.

13.

(self adj help). ti, ab, kw.

14.

(social$2 adj activ$5). ti, ab.

15.

Health Promotion/

16.

(health adj promotion). ti, ab, kw.

17.

(health adj status). ti, ab, kw.

18.

exp community networks/

19.

(social$2 adj participat$3). ti, ab.

20.

(social$2 adj integrat$3). ti, ab.

21.

friendship. ti, ab, kw.

22.

(quality adj2 life). ti, ab.

23.

(well adj being). ti, ab, kw.

24.

wellbeing. ti, ab, kw.

25.

(self adj esteem). ti, ab.

26.

exp Self Esteem/

27.

(creative adj activ$5). ti, ab, kw.

28.

exercise. ti, ab, kw.

29.

(physical adj activ$5). ti, ab, kw.

30.

peer. ti, ab, kw.

31.

socio-medical. ti, ab, kw.

32.

1 or 2 or 3 or 6 or 7 or 8 or 9 or 10 or 11 or 12 or 13 or 14 or 15 or 16 or 17 or 18 or 19 or 20 or 21 or 22 or 23 or 24 or 25 or 26 or 27 or 28 or 29 or 30 or 31

33.

Middle Aged/

34.

Aged/

35.

"Aged, 80 and over"/

36.

geriatric. ti, ab.

37.

elder$2. ti, ab, kw.

38.

older$. ti, ab, kw.

39.

senior$. ti, ab.

40.

(ageing or aging). ti, ab, kw.

41.

(old$2 adj age$3). ti, ab.

42.

aged. ti, ab.

43.

retire$4. ti, ab.

44.

33 or 34 or 35 or 36 or 37 or 38 or 39 or 40 or 41 or 42 or 43

45.

(social$2 adj4 isolat$3). ti, ab, kw.

46.

(isolated adj (elder$ or old$)). ti, ab.

47.

(social$2 adj alienat$3). ti, ab.

48.

(social$2 adj exclu$). ti, ab, kw.

49.

(social adj contact$). ti, ab.

50.

(social adj environment). ti, ab, kw.

51.

lonel$5. ti, ab, kw.

52.

loss. kw.

53.

bereave$4. kw.

54.

Loneliness/

55.

Social Isolation/

56.

Social Alienation/

57.

Social Distance/

58.

45 or 46 or 47 or 48 or 49 or 50 or 51 or 52 or 53 or 54 or 55 or 56 or 57

59.

Intervention Studies/

60.

intervention. ti, ab.

61.

Program Evaluation/

62.

program$2 evaluation"tabcaption". ti, ab.

63.

59 or 60 or 61 or 62

64.

exp randomized controlled trials/

65.

"randomized controlled trial". pt.

66.

"controlled clinical trial". pt.

67.

(random$ or placebo$). ti, ab, sh.

68.

((singl$ or double$ or triple$ or treble$) and (blind$ or mask$)). tw, sh.

69.

(retraction of publication or retracted publication). pt.

70.

64 or 65 or 66 or 67 or 68 or 69

71.

(animals not humans). sh.

72.

70 not 71

73.

exp case-control studies/

74.

controlled clinical trial/

75.

exp clinical trial/

76.

control$3. ti, ab.

77.

(quasi adj experiment$2). ti, ab.

78.

match$3. ti, ab.

79.

trial. ti, ab.

80.

(controlled adj5 trial). ti, ab, kw.

81.

(randomi?ed adj controlled adj trial). ti, ab.

82.

63 or 72 or 73 or 74 or 75 or 76 or 77 or 78 or 79 or 80 or 81

83.

32 and 44 and 58 and 82