JOURNAL ARTICLE · EDITORIAL BRIEF
A Digital App-Based Intervention (Platoniq) to Reduce Loneliness: Single-Arm Pilot Study
Silvan Hornstein; Jasmina Schmidt; Lara Sachs; Tobias Krieger; Daniel Stachnik; Ulrike Lueken
JMIR Human Factors · 22 October 2026 · Background reading
The finding or development
Participants reported less loneliness after using an app combining relationship exercises and tracking. This is preliminary evidence of change within the sample, not proof the app caused it.
What supports it
Peer-reviewed pilot: 72 participants, with 67 responding after four weeks and 44 after eight. No control group.
Reviewed: Publisher full text, methods, results, limitations and conflicts reviewed 4 November 2026; underlying data unavailable.
Why it matters for design
Useful for distinguishing engagement, satisfaction and outcome evidence when evaluating services intended to support social connection.
Read with this in mind
Mostly female, highly educated sample; substantial follow-up attrition. Satisfaction and barriers were not systematically assessed. Three authors co-founded the intervention provider.
Original source
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DOI: 10.2196/99374
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