JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Workplace loneliness—defined as the perceived absence of meaningful social relationships at work—can negatively impact employee well-being, engagement, and productivity. Older professionals (aged 50 and above) may be particularly vulnerable to workplace loneliness in the context of accelerated digitalization, which can create barriers to inclusion, communication, and collaboration. Despite growing interest in this phenomenon, no comprehensive synthesis has yet examined how digital tools and transformations affect loneliness among older workers or what interventions have been implemented to address it

Objective:

This scoping review aims to systematically map the existing literature on workplace loneliness among professionals aged 50 or more, with a specific focus on how digitalization influences these experiences. The review will also identify digital tools associated with loneliness and examine organizational interventions aimed at mitigating loneliness in this demographic.

Methods:

This scoping review will follow the methodological orientations of Arksey and O’Malley and the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) framework. A comprehensive search strategy will be implemented across multiple databases (e.g., MEDLINE via PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, APA PsycINFO) and grey literature sources. Studies will be eligible if they (1) include professionals aged 50 and older, (2) focus on workplace loneliness or related constructs in professional contexts, and (3) are situated in digitalized work environments (e.g., remote/hybrid work, digital tools, ICT systems). Multiple reviewers will independently perform study selection, data extraction, and quality assessment. Data will be charted using a predefined template capturing study characteristics, theoretical frameworks, digital contexts, loneliness measures, and intervention strategies. Findings will be synthesized narratively and thematically.

Results:

As this is a scoping review protocol, findings are not yet available. A preliminary search conducted in June–July 2025 across MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science yielded 450, 1, and 47 potentially relevant records, respectively. No systematic or scoping reviews were identified on workplace loneliness among older workers in digitalized contexts. One review addressed video calls for non-working older adults, reporting very low-certainty evidence. The planned review will apply PRISMA-ScR guidelines to synthesize evidence on digitalization’s role, associated technologies, and organizational interventions in mitigating workplace loneliness for professionals aged 50 and over.

Conclusions:

This scoping review will systematically examine how digitalization shapes workplace loneliness among professionals aged 50 and over, and identify organizational interventions that address it. The synthesis will refine conceptual understanding, highlight critical evidence gaps, and inform the development of socially supportive digital work environments for aging workforces.