Addressing unwanted loneliness among young people (ESMD0009)

Commitment ID

ESMD0009

Commitment Title

Addressing unwanted loneliness among young people

Problem

Young people are at a higher risk of suffering from unwanted loneliness, especially young women; this problem is not a one-off occurrence, but rather continues throughout their lives.
Modern society does not facilitate the personal and social interaction of young people, where virtual and real relationships are confused. Furthermore, there is a greater complexity in accessing young people and their problems. Several studies support these claims

Status quo

According to the Study on unwanted loneliness and young people in Spain 2023 conducted by the State Observatory on Unwanted Loneliness, loneliness affects one in four young people in Spain. The percentage of 16-29 year olds who currently feel lonely (25.5%). Half of the young people who currently feel lonely have been lonely for more than three years (45.7%). The vast majority of young people (77.1%) say that they know other people who may experience unwanted loneliness. Unwanted loneliness peaks between the ages of 21 and 26. The Health Study of the City of Madrid 2022 confirms these data, the feeling of loneliness among young people is higher than in other age groups (19.4%). People aged 15-29 have a higher prevalence of discomfort associated with feelings of loneliness (32.3%). Young women feel lonelier (24.2%) and have a greater feeling of discomfort (36.4%) than young men (14.5% and 27.8% respectively). This perception is the highest of all age groups. Unsatisfactory social life, among others, increases the frequency of unwanted feelings of loneliness. The Thivic Social Innovation Laboratory, promoted by the Directorate General for Citizen Participation, identifies the importance of using a language adapted to adolescents and young people, communicating positively with attractive, current and youthful images, understanding the diversity of adolescents and young people, as well as assessing the use of social channels and networks.

Action

The objective is to raise awareness among the general population in order to work on the realities of unwanted loneliness, debunking myths and reinforcing, among other ideas, the idea that loneliness:

• Can occur at all stages of life.
• Is not just an individual problem, many factors come together.
• Young people suffer from unwanted feelings of loneliness to a greater extent than adults and also experience greater discomfort.
• People can maintain an empathetic approach.

For all these reasons,

• The network of Municipal Community Health Centres will deepen the identification and development of strategies to detect and assist adolescents and young people in situations of unwanted loneliness.
• Specific meeting spaces for adolescents and young people will be expanded to promote healthy relationships and the generation of youth-to-youth or intergenerational bonds.
• A network of young collaborators will be strengthened in addition to the existing one.
• The results of the project will be reported every six months.

In November 2025 a new contract for this service must be started, which should contemplate the following premises:

• Incorporate 3 agents specialised in adolescents and young people (professional ambassadors) in each of the three zones into which the municipal territory is divided: 9 professionals.
• Recruit a full-time communications technician and a professional ambassador on a central level.

How will the commitment contribute to solving the public problem described above?

Using different strategies:

• Prevention and promotion of health and emotional well-being (overweight and obesity, sexual and reproductive health, sexual diversity, emotional well-being, life skills, maternal and child health, tobacco prevention and control, etc.).
• Physical activity.
• Artistic, cultural and leisure activities.

Using different channels: Face-to-face (individual, group, and community).

• Establishing coordination with the municipal organisation and structure (youth centres, municipal sports centres, equality spaces, museums, libraries, employment agency) and with other public entities (education, leisure, culture, sport...).
• Community-oriented and therefore coordinated with local entities and resources.
• Supporting the actions in the network of partners that have been promoted in the framework of this programme.
• Developing a specific network of young collaborators (ambassadors).
• Websites, already established: soledadnodeseada.es and madridsalud.es, as well as the Madrid Salud account on the main social networks for the dissemination of healthy and safe actions for young people.

What long-term goal as identified in your Open Government Strategy does this commitment relate to?

• A methodology is proposed for the participation of citizens organisations and entities in the territories with regard to the prevention of unwanted loneliness, generating a network of social support and safe spaces for young people that aims to:
  • Promote a network of young collaborators for this programme.
  • Build social support networks and safe and secure environments, mainly face-to-face.
  • Generate collaboration protocols with social agents, the educational community, municipal services, and public and private entities.
• The methodology also includes the development of health asset mapping, which is carried out with the help of the community. This enables the identification of the health assets present in the different territories of the city of Madrid and the establishment of community networks that work collectively and horizontally in the field of community health in the framework of the prevention of unwanted loneliness.

It aims to protect and expand civic space for civil society and democratic dialogue by expanding existing methods and testing new ones. It encourages more inclusive participation by working with young people. It will enable the identification and sharing of stories, qualitative research and data in combination with evidence-based findings.

Primary Policy Area

Inclusion

Primary Sector

Health & Nutrition

What OGP value is this commitment relevant to?