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
How lonely are European citizens?
Why does loneliness matter?
Loneliness Interventions
► Roundtable with experts: Effective actions to address loneliness
On October 11th 2022, the JRC will organise 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.
More information will be soon available.
► 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.
See the meeting report and agenda
- 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 Interventions to reduce loneliness among youth
- NEW [2022] Literature Review The relationship between loneliness and health
- NEW [2022] TECHNICAL REPORT Loneliness and health of older adults: The role of cultural heritage and relationship quality.
- NEW [2022] Policy Brief Can schools mitigate young people from feeling lonely: An analysis across Europe.
- NEW [2022] Literature Review Social Media Use and Loneliness.
- NEW [2022] Policy Brief Loneliness among older adults - A European perspective.
- NEW [2022] MEETING REPORT Interventions to reduce loneliness among youth
- NEW [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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