Research project TD/231/DistantButClose (Research action TD)
The DistantButClose project aims to investigate the public health relevance of loneliness and social isolation during the pandemic period, as well as the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on loneliness and social isolation across different sociodemographic groups. The project will expand the understanding in four key ways. Firstly, the team will investigate the influence of loneliness and social isolation on individuals' willingness to adhere to preventive measures such as vaccination, handwashing and mask-wearing that are essential to end pandemics. This will help determine the necessary prioritization of these health issues in case of future pandemics. Secondly, the team will examine the short-term and persisting effects that the pandemic has had on loneliness and social isolation in the Belgian and European population, as well as the unequal distribution of these consequences based on socio-economic status (SES), living arrangements, gender, and age. This analysis will yield valuable insights for policymakers, identifying specific groups that require targeted support and resilience-building measures. Moreover, by comparing results across regions and European countries, the team will evaluate the relative performance of Belgium as a whole and its regions compared to other parts of Europe. Thirdly, the team will delve deeper into inequalities in two specific age groups that have been disproportionately affected during the initial phase of the pandemic: adolescents (in secondary education) and older adults (aged 65 years and over). The aim is to gain insights into the meso- and macro-contextual conditions that have shaped these inequalities during the COVID-19 pandemic. This contextual approach will help the team develop policy recommendations for structural interventions, addressing poor social wellbeing and related inequalities (during times of crisis), as a complementary alternative to biomedical and psychological remedies. Fourthly, the team will examine how contextual conditions have influenced loneliness, social isolation and associated inequalities during the COVID-19 pandemic by organizing focus groups with relevant Belgian and European policymakers and stakeholders, refining the policy recommendations accordingly. Overall, the DistantButClose project will contribute to pandemic preparedness and tackle the pressing issue of the loneliness and social isolation epidemic.
