What are intergenerational Interventions?

“Intergenerational practice aims to bring people together in purposeful, mutually beneficial activities which promote greater understanding and respect between generations and contributes to building more cohesive communities. Intergenerational practice is inclusive, building on the positive resources that the young and old have to offer each other and those around them” Beth Johnson Foundation.

Purpose

This map is a visual and interactive tool that shows the results of a rigorous search for existing research exploring the experiences of those involved, and the effects of intergenerational interventions. We are showing in this map the types of research that have been undertaken and the types of outcomes they have evaluated, both for children and young people, older people, and also any measures of its impact on the community. We have also been interested to see if any harmful impacts of the intervention have been identified and any evaluation of their costs, or the challenges in developing these types of interventions. The outcomes we have looked at are the column headings in the map.

What does the map include?

This EGM includes 500 research studies.

How up-to-date is the map?

This EGM includes studies published between 1975 and 2021. The last search was completed in February 2022.

How to read the EGM?

The rows in the map are the types of intergenerational interventions.

Intergenerational interventions may vary considerably in the types of older and younger people that are involved, how they are set up, the activities they involve, their purpose and in the frequency and type of interaction that they enable. Therefore, in order to look at their effects we need to be able to get an understanding of what types of intergenerational interventions have been evaluated and how the effects might differ from type to type.

We have differentiated the types of Intergenerational using The Depth of Intergenerational Engagement Scale (see Figure 1) places programs and activities on a continuum, with points that correspond to different levels of intergenerational engagement, ranging from initiatives that provide no direct contact between age groups (point 1) to those that promote intensive contact and ongoing opportunities for intimacy (point 7). Examples of intergenerational initiatives fitting into each point on the scale are described.   These are the row headings in the map and are described below: 

Learning about other age groups - Participants learn about the lives of persons in other age groups, although there is no direct or indirect contact. Example: "Learning about Aging" programs designed to teach youth about aspect(s) of the aging process. 
Seeing the other age group at a distance - These initiatives facilitate an indirect exchange between individuals of two or more age groups. Participants might exchange videos, write letters, or share artwork with each other, but never actually meet in person. Example: A pen-pal program in which youth in an after-school club exchange letters with residents of a nursing home. 
Meeting each other - Initiatives culminate in a meeting between the young participants and older adults, generally planned as a one-time experience. Example: A class of students plan for and visit a local senior centre in which all engage in activities during a July 4th picnic.
Annual or periodic activities - Often tied to established community events or organizational celebrations, intergenerational activities occur on a regular basis. Although infrequent, these activities might symbolize intergenerational and community unity and influence attitudes and openness toward additional or ongoing activities. Examples: Intergenerational activities at a school on Grandparent's Day, an annual community dance in which youth and older adults are actively involved, and Christmas carolling at assisted-living homes. 
Demonstration projects - Demonstration projects generally involve ongoing intergenerational activities over a defined period of time. Depending on project goals and objectives, the intergenerational exchange and learning can be quite intensive. These initiatives are often implemented on an experimental or trial basis, and frequently depend on external funding. Example: A 6-month pilot program, sponsored by an agency that provides teen parenthood support services. Senior adults who have successfully raised children are enlisted to mentor and provide support for pregnant and parenting teens. 
Ongoing intergenerational programs - Programs from the previous category that have been deemed successful and valuable from the perspective of the participating organizations and the clientele are incorporated as an integral part of their operation. This extends to program and staff development such as preparing individuals to work with populations of various age groups. Example: Based on a partnership forged between a senior center, a community youth center, and an environmental education centre, senior adults and youth plan and execute the town's environmental improvement campaign. Systems are established to organize numerous projects, train and assign participants, and provide continuing support and recognition. 
Ongoing, natural intergenerational sharing, support, and communication - There are times when the intergenerational reconnection theme transcends a distinct program or intervention. This is evident when the social norms, institutional policies and priorities of a particular site, community, or society reflect values of intergenerational reciprocity and interdependence. Intergenerational engagement takes place as a function of the way community settings are planned and established. In this context, opportunities for meaningful intergenerational engagement are abundant and embedded in local tradition. Example: A YMCA facility houses a senior citizen centre. Older adults and youth participate in a variety of age-integrated activities. Programs fitting into all points on this continuum provide positive experiences for interacting with persons in other age groups. However, if the aim is ambitious, such as changing attitudes about other age groups, building a sense of community, enhancing self-esteem, or establishing nurturing intimate relationships, it becomes important to focus on programs that fit into levels 4-7 on the scale. Programs would take place over an extended period of time, would last anywhere from a few months to many years, and would provide extensive interaction opportunities.

Figure 1: Depth of Intergenerational Engagement Scale

The column headings are the outcomes that have been measured, and we have looked at outcomes for children and young people, and older people, as well as carers, and community level outcomes. A glossary is available, defining the outcomes measured.

There are different coloured circles, indicating the type of study design that has been used to evaluate the intergenerational intervention. There is a legend at the bottom of the map describing these.

Clicking on a cell provides a list of the studies which report on the intervention and outcomes for that cell. Clicking on a study in the list leads to information on that review including the abstract, and a link to view the original source, with access to the full study where possible.

The map has a set of filters including the country where the study was undertaken, features of the populations included in the study and the activities incorporated into the programme, such as sharing stories, supported learning, shared arts and crafts. Selecting a filter means the map will only display studies containing evidence on the selected filter. To use this tool, click > Filter at the top-left of the map, then select the category of interest. Once your chosen filters have been selected, click > update.

Citation

This map should be cited as: Campbell, F., Whear, R., Rogers, M., Sutton, A., Robinson-Carter, E., Barlow, J., Sharpe, R., Cohen, S., Wolstenholme, L., & Thompson-Coon, J. (2023). Non-familial intergenerational interventions and their impact on social and mental wellbeing of both younger and older people—A mapping review and evidence and gap map. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 19, e1306. https://doi.org/10.1002/cl2.1306

Further Information

Web page iGEN (Intergenerational practices and intergenerational learning in health and social care): Exploring the evidence from the perspective of older people - PenARC (nihr.ac.uk)

Report Non‐familial intergenerational interventions and their impact on social and mental wellbeing of both younger and older people—A mapping review and evidence and gap map - Campbell - 2023 - Campbell Systematic Reviews - Wiley Online Library

Protocol PROTOCOL: Intergenerational interventions and their effect on social and mental wellbeing of both children and older people—A mapping review and evidence and gap map - Thompson‐Coon - 2022 - Campbell Systematic Reviews - Wiley Online Library