Table 1.

Included study characteristics

Included study	Study details	Study aim	Sample characteristics	Summary of findings	Use of a facilitator	Preprogramme training	Data collection and analysis
de Souza46	Qualitative; school (Brazil); older adult participants shared life experiences with students in a classroom environment.	Intergenerational programme evaluation from participant viewpoint.	84 randomly selected students; age 13–19 years; 26 older people; age 60+ years; male and female groups.	The intergenerational activity based on reminiscence improved social interaction and community wellbeing for older adults.	Unclear	No	Focus group interviews followed by thematic analysis
Kessler and Staudinger37	Quantitative; laboratory (Germany); interaction between an older person and younger person, two older people or two younger people addressing a ‘life problem’ or a ‘media problem’.	To understand if intergenerational interactions have the potential to facilitate psychological functioning in both adolescent and old age.	Older women aged 70–74 n=90 and girls aged 14–15 n=90	Improved cognitive performance, reduced negative age-related stereotypes and triggered generative behaviours.	No	No	Data collected by a series of survey, psychometric and cognitive tests. Analysis completed using planned comparisons
Hernandez and Gonzalez50	Quantitative; local council social centre (Spain); weekly recreational activities (talks, excursions, cultural events). 32 interactive session ‘movement programme’.	To investigate the effect of an intergenerational programme on stereotyped attitudes towards elderly people and the wellbeing of older adults.	101 elderly people; across two groups, age M=74 (SD=7.7) and M=75 (SD=5.21); 179 university students; age M=19 (SD=0.93); both male and female participants.	Improved outcomes in depression measures in older adults who participated in an intergenerational exercise group.	Yes	Yes—adolescents only	Pre and post sessions that included questionnaires and geriatric depression scale. Analysis via repeated measure analysis of variance
Wilson et al47	Qualitative; Men’s shed (Australia); 10-week intergenerational mentoring programme with older male mentors offering support to younger at risk males	To explore the experiences and perceptions of mentors involved in an occupation skill focused programme with teenage boys.	9 teenage boys; age ~15 years; 6 older male mentors; Age 60–75; a project facilitator and a; youth worker. All participants were male.	Intergenerational programmes involving older adults with a strong sense of generativity were shown to be a valuable resource to communities.	Yes	Yes—both groups	Pre and post individual interviews and focus groups with both groups however only reported on data from older adult participants using constant comparative method of grounded theory
Biggs and Knox52	Qualitative; residential care/ assisted living (USA (Texas)); Girl Scout meetings held in assisted living facility	To identify impact of an intergenerational programme for Girl Scouts (young people) and residents (older people) on quality of life, social interaction and personal attitudes.	Focus groups comprised of parents=8, residents=5, staff=10, children (scouts and daisies) 5–12 years=9; content essay participants ages 6–16: n=18; all participants female.	Intergenerational programmes using social workers and community volunteers strengthened intergenerational relationships.	Yes	No	Focus group interviews with both groups and submitted essays from the younger participants followed by thematic analysis
Knight et al35	Mixed methods; residential aged care setting (Australia); development of a life story review book by adolescent students partnered with an older adult.	To pilot and test the feasibility of an intergenerational programme ‘My Life Story’.	Adolescents n=24; age M=14.56 (SD=0.5); older adults n=12; age M=90.58 (SD=3.59); gender of participants not stated	Improved social connectedness and community engagement resulted from an intergenerational programme using reminiscence.	Yes	Yes—both groups	Qualitative data collected (post) using semi-structured interviews and quantitative data collected (pre and post) using a series of items followed by thematic analysis and paired t-tests.
Østensen et al15	Qualitative; residential care facility or private home (Norway); sessions over a 12-month period with volunteer adolescents supporting older adults to learn use of a tablet device.	To explore a new model of care that supports older people to participate by introducing technology and mobilising volunteer services.	Older adults n=15 (5 withdrew due to illness, death and hospitalisation); adolescents n=not stated; age 54–94 years; both male and female participants.	Reduction in anxiety and increase in social activity for older adults followed an intergenerational programme supporting older adults to use an iPad.	Yes	Yes—adolescents only	Individual semi structured interviews repeated over a 12-month period with the older adults only followed by thematic analysis
Santini et al48	Qualitative; residential aged care facility (Italy); intergenerational activity based meetings with aged care residents, older adult community volunteers and adolescents.	To understand if creating community space and planning activities where adolescents, older adults and active older volunteers meet and interact will improve health outcomes for older adults.	14-year-old students n=25 (18 males and 7 females) and three teachers; 16 older residents; age M=83; three social workers; 16 older volunteers; age M=70	The intergenerational programme improved the wellbeing of institutionalised older adults.	Yes	Yes—both groups	Individual and focus groups Interviews with students; individual interview with older adults; focus groups with volunteers before, during and after the intervention followed by content analysis
Wilson et al33	Mixed methods; Men’s shed (Australia); intergenerational mentoring programme with older adults and young adults with intellectual disability.	To examine the feasibility of a novel Men’s Shed intergenerational mentoring intervention for young adults with intellectual disability.	5 mentees (average age 16); older adult mentors n=12; age M=69.5 (SD=8.53); all participants were male.	Intergenerational mentoring interventions for youth with intellectual disability at community Men’s Sheds were shown to be feasible and appropriate.	Yes	Yes- older adults only	Quantitative data via preintervention and postintervention outcome measures and descriptive data of mentees’ functional skills. Qualitative data collected at end of project via individual interviews with mentees and mentors. Used realist evaluation method