About
Loneliness and social isolation are becoming increasingly recognised as public issues that need to be addressed with effective policy interventions.
In 2016, about 12% of EU citizens felt lonely more than half of the time. The COVID-19 pandemic has magnified the problem. In the first months following the COVID-19 outbreak, the proportion of EU citizens felt lonely more than half of the time doubled to around 25%.
Loneliness and social isolation are not just harmful to mental and physical health but can also have significant consequences for social cohesion and community trust.
Read the latest JRC Publications

Loneliness Interventions
Mapping of interventions across the EU
The JRC is mapping loneliness interventions across the EU-27. The aim of the mapping is to understand what works to tackle loneliness and identify potential gaps with the ultimate goal of informing and supporting policy making.
Based on this mapping, the JRC has published a first beta version of the online repository of interventions. Please note that the repository does not provide an exhaustive list of loneliness interventions existing in the EU-27.The purpose of the directory is to share knowledge about on-the-ground loneliness intervention strategies with policy makers, practitioners, experts as well as the more general population.
You can access the online repository by clicking on the link provided below. The user may apply filters for a set of categories to quickly search for interventions according to specific interest (e.g. loneliness interventions in 'The Netherlands' targeted at 'young people').
The repository includes interventions that have the explicit objective of addressing loneliness. However, interventions that tackle mental and social health issues with an implicit focus on loneliness are also included (e.g. active ageing initiatives). Indeed, some organizations may not use the term “loneliness” to prevent stigmatization. Thus, discarding these initiatives could mean loss of key information on best practices to tackle loneliness.
If you would like to include an intervention in the repository, please contact us at the email address provided at the bottom of this page.
Access the JRC’s online repository of loneliness interventions
Events
► Roundtable with experts: Effective actions to address loneliness
On October 11th 2022, the JRC organised an online Roundtable to discuss the findings of the work on loneliness so far, collect emerging effective actions, and contribute to the discussion at EU level.
- Welcome words by Colin Scicluna (Head of Cabinet of Vice-President Šuica)
- Loneliness interventions: mapping and interviews with experts, Minna Nurminen (JRC) and Elizabeth Casabianca (JRC)
- Effective interventions to reduce loneliness: secondary review of meta-analysis, Susanne Bücker (Ruhr University Bochum)
- Discussion by Mathias Lasgaard (DEFACTUM) and Christopher Mikton (WHO)
- Reducing loneliness among older adults: Circle of Friends, Anu Jansson (Finnish Association for the Welfare of Older People)
- Making the young less lonely: Ventilen, Karen Vestergård Jacobsen (Ventilen)
- The Federal Programme Multi-Generational Centres, Steffi Augter (Department of the Bundesprogramm Mehrgenerationenhäuser)
- The S.T.E.P.S. project of the City of Verona, Chiara Maccacaro (City of Verona)
- Conclusionsby Ettore Marchetti (Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion)
► Interventions to reduce loneliness among youth
On May 12th 2022, the JRC organised an online seminar with academics, practitioners and policy-makers on interventions to reduce loneliness among youth.
- Despo Sergiou (European Commission, DG EAC)
- Marlies Maes (Utrecht University) - What does research say about loneliness among youth?
- Pierre Atlan (City of Pau) - City of Pau presentation
- Rogério Augusto Bordini (Offenburg University) - Noneliness App Presentation
► Informal Expert Meeting
On December 7th 2021, the JRC organised an informal expert meeting with academics, practitioners and policy-makers on interventions to address loneliness in Europe.
- Joan R. Riera (Barcelona City Council) - Barcelona’s Strategy against Loneliness: elaboration process and strategic lines
- Maria Lähteenmäki, Tuuli Albekoglu (HelsinkiMissio) - HelsinkiMissio’s loneliness intervention programme – an individualised approach to reducing loneliness
- Jolanda van Gerwe (Join Us Foundation) - Reduce Loneliness among Youth – best practice from the Netherlands
- Mathias Lasgaard (DEFACTUM, Central Denmark Region) - Are loneliness interventions effective in reducing loneliness? Evidence from a review of over 130 interventions
- Jannis Kuhlencord, Rahel Herczeg (Togetherness Hub) - Flash presentation on Togetherness Hub
Want to know more?
- NEW [2022] MEETING REPORT JRC Conference and Workshop Report - Roundtable with Experts: Effective Actions to Address Loneliness
- NEW [2022] Literature review Effectiveness of interventions tackling loneliness
- [2022] MEETING REPORT Interventions to reduce loneliness among youth
- [2022] Literature Review The relationship between loneliness and health
- [2022] TECHNICAL REPORT Loneliness and health of older adults: The role of cultural heritage and relationship quality.
- [2022] Policy Brief Can schools mitigate young people from feeling lonely: An analysis across Europe.
- [2022] Literature Review Social Media Use and Loneliness.
- [2022] Policy Brief Loneliness among older adults - A European perspective.
- [2022] Literature Review Risk factors for loneliness
- [2021] MEETING REPORT Informal Expert Meeting on Loneliness Interventions
- [2021] Literature Review Loneliness & social and civic behaviours
- [2021] Policy Brief Loneliness in Europe before and during the COVID-19 pandemic
- [2021] Report Loneliness in the EU. Insights from surveys and online media data. See related JRC News
- [2021] IZA Discussion paper Loneliness and Social Isolation: An Unequally Shared Burden in Europe
- [2018] Policy brief Loneliness – an unequally shared burden in Europe. See related JRC news
Next steps
The JRC will continue working on loneliness in the framework of a collaboration between the European Parliament, the European Commission Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs & Inclusion, and the JRC.
The project will include a new EU-wide data collection on loneliness, to be carried out in 2022, and the establishment of a web platform to monitor loneliness over time and across Europe.
Other institutions working on loneliness
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WHO - World Health Organization |
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GILC - Global Initiative on Loneliness and ConnectionRecent presentations How social connection influences health, Julianne Holt-Lunstad The introduction of a systemic, socio-ecological framework for action, Edward Garcia, Julianne Holt-Lunstad |
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TH - Togetherness Hub |
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Originally Published | Last Updated | 05 Aug 2021 | 26 Jan 2023 |
Knowledge service | Metadata | Composite Indicators |
Related organisation(s) | WHO - World Health Organisation |
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