Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Systematic Review
Abstract: This scoping review aimed to understand the comprehensive evidence on solitary death occurring in the community. A database search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and CINAHL using the following keywords: live alone, solitary death, and community. A manual search was also conducted using Google Scholar. Sixteen studies that met the inclusion criteria were reviewed. Approximately 60% of studies were retrospective, and 53.3% were conducted in Japan. The studies included in the review described solitary death using different expressions. However, they consistently encompassed the shared notion of a death experienced in the absence of anyone’s presence, in a state of social isolation. Most solitary deaths occur at home and are discovered by family, neighbors, police officers, or someone who visited regularly. The risk of solitary death is higher among middle-aged and older adults, particularly among men, individuals living alone, those with low socioeconomic status or poor health conditions, and those experiencing social isolation. People who live alone are at particularly high risk for solitary death. The findings present insights into how solitary death has been defined in research, as well as how and why solitary death occurs in the community. The findings are expected to contribute to the development of intervention programs and government policies to prevent solitary death.Protocol registration: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/AE39Q
Source: Global Public Health
Authors: Chung Min Cho, Hyeun Jun Moon, Jee-Hye Yoo
Institutions: Sungshin Women's University, Dankook University, CHA University
Language: English
Subfield: General Health Professions
Field: Health Professions
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,650
Award: G1029094741
OpenAlex ID: W4417101659