Current state of knowledge on parents’ social isolation and loneliness from pregnancy to the end of early childhood: definitions, measuring instruments, extent, and associated factors

In 2016, the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux (MSSS) began updating the Cadre de référence des Services intégrés en périnatalité et pour la petite enfance (SIPPE), which is the reference framework for perinatal and early childhood integrated services for families in vulnerable situations. This work included reviewing the program’s eligibility criteria. Vulnerability is now defined by socioeconomic status, education level, and a new criterion: social isolation. To our knowledge, no review of the scientific literature addressing the social isolation of parents, from pregnancy to the end of early childhood, has been published in the last 20 years. In view of this, we have described the state of knowledge on parents’ social isolation and loneliness during the perinatal and early childhood period. This work serves to inform public health actors working with parents and their families on various aspects of these two phenomena, including: 1) the definitions of social isolation and loneliness, as well as the distinction with certain related concepts; 2) the main instruments used to measure social isolation and loneliness; 3) the extent of social isolation and loneliness in the population of interest; and 4) the main factors associated with social isolation and loneliness.