Table 1. Summary of included studies with quantitative data.
| References, country | Year | Setting and recruitment | Study design | Mental health focus | Intervention name | Intervention content and delivery | Duration of intervention | Inclusion criteria | n (% female) | Age (m, SD) | Mental health outcomes | Findings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jarvis et al, South Africa | 2019 | Non-governmental organisation offering accommodation for resource-restricted residents | RCT with two groups:
|
Loneliness | Living in Networked Communities | Intervention consists of four phases: (1) technology acceptance through selection of smartphone and four 90-minute group sessions (2 weeks), (2) psychoeducation about loneliness delivered over 90-minute face-to-face sessions as well as over WhatsApp (2 weeks), (3) and individualised messages aimed at maladaptive cognitions sent over WhatsApp (1 month), (4) maintenance stage (1 month) | 12 weeks | Participants must:
In addition to the above, the participant must also either
|
26 (81.3) | 74.9 (6.4) | Social cognition: Young Schema Questionnaire (YSQ) Loneliness: De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale (DGLS) Mental well-being: WHO-5 |
There were significant positive changes in both YSQ and DGLS At 1-month follow-up, a significant reduction in DGLS was maintained |
| Tekin and Cetisli-Korkmaz, Turkey | 2022 | Grandparents of physiotherapy interns | RCT with two groups:
|
Depression and fall prevention | No name | Home exercise programme consisting of six different types of calisthenic exercises. Videos of exercise prescriptions were sent to participants via online methods. The exercise programme was scheduled 5 days a week for 4 weeks |
4 weeks | Participants must:
|
255 (45.9) | 70.3 (5.4) | Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) Modified Fall Efficacy Scale (MFES) Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) |
Significant improvements in GDS and MFES in the intervention group |
| Brandão et al, Brazil | 2022 | University hospital/public community healthcare centre etc | Feasibility study with a mixed-methods approach | Social isolation | Playful Living | Weekly 60-minute WhatsApp video calls with undergraduate students with knowledge of four areas of arts and health (clowning, dancing, storytelling, cooking) | 12 weeks | Participants must:
|
34 (58.3) | 71.8 (9.2) | Quantitative: Depression Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI) were used at screening Qualitative: Participant observation and thematic analysis (TA) |
Depression and anxiety appeared less common after treatment, although loss to follow-up was high. TA showed that participants perceived the programme as supportive and reported feelings of belonging. No negative consequences were reported in relation to the experience during or after one‐to‐one or group calls |
| Scazufca et al, Brazil | 2024 | Primary care | RCT with two groups:
|
Depression | Viva Vida | Intervention consists of 48 audio and visual messages, delivered 4 days a week in the morning and afternoon over a 6-week period on WhatsApp. Content-wise, the intervention consists of psychoeducation about depression, health promotion guidelines, simple ways to solve day-to-day problems related to depressive symptoms and behavioural activation | 6 weeks | The participant must:
|
603 (74.8) | 65.1 | Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) | Significantly more had improved depressive symptomatology according to the PHQ-9 |
RCTs, randomised controlled trials; SES, socioeconomic status.