Abstract

Back groud: Osteoarthritis, a chronically disabling physical condition may be severely impacted by negative emotions and pain given their multiple health challenges.

Aims: 1) To summarize the research base concerning the presence of feelings of depression in older adults suffering from osteoarthritis; 2). To overview the degree to which mitigating loneliness and osteoarthritis depression is desirable and may be helped by robotic social devices; and 3) To provide directives for professionals who work or are likely to work with this population in the future. Methods: Reviewed were current peer reviewed publications detailing some aspect of osteoarthritis in the older adult, depression, emergent loneliness and social isolation, and the role and impact of  robotic personal ‘friends’ in this realm.

Results: Collectively, these data reveal efforts to reduce and mitigate different degrees of depression in older adult osteoarthritis cases are needed and that social robots may help quell isolation.

Implication: Those older adults with osteoarthritis suffering from depression and emergent loneliness and social isolation may benefit from robotic human or pet like contacts and interactions regardless of cause and overall health status. 

Keywords

depression, loneliness, older adults, osteoarthritis, robotic pets, social robots