Europe’s Taking Loneliness Seriously – and Doing Something About It

Across Northern Europe, a vast project is underway to promote inclusion and combat isolation, loneliness, and even depression.

“We know that people who are lonely and isolated are at risk of being depressed. They can also be at risk of different illnesses,” says the project coordinator, Elin Thygesen. “Therefore, it was important for us to deal with these issues to see how we can include people and help them improve their quality of life.”

According to the first EU-wide survey on isolation, more than one-third of Europeans experience some form of loneliness. To combat this, the European I2I project mission has already carried out over 45 activities across seven Northern European countries, including Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Norway. One of the focuses of the European I2I project is a door-to-door service that allows for bookable vehicles to take people to the doctor or social centres. Another possibility is to install a “free screen” that allows family members to send photos and messages without the person on the receiving end ever having to press a single button or navigate the technology. The I2I currently has €3.2 million in funding and will likely continue expanding its activities and locations.