2.P. Round table: From Policy to Impact: National Strategies and System-Level Solutions for Loneliness

Abstract The European Union is investing significantly in research and innovation to alleviate loneliness across and beyond Europe. Currently, at least 12 EU-funded projects, involving over 80 organisations are part of a funding cycle that will extend through 2028. In parallel, 9 countries have already developed national loneliness policies. As these policies evolve, there is an urgent need to build bridges between them so we can align national and European efforts to support nations in their journey to address loneliness for all populations. This round table explores the topic of loneliness as understood through the policy lens, the role of government in advancing solutions, and the examination of European and national loneliness strategies to guide these solutions. The panel will bring together four experts with hands-on experience in shaping national and European loneliness strategies, bridging the gap between implementation science and policy. We aim to generate actionable insights to accelerate the development, adoption, and alignment of national strategies across Europe. To this end, four Panellists will discuss the interconnections between research, policy, and practice to promote system-level approaches to the prevention and mitigation of loneliness (30min) followed by an engaging discussion with the audience (30min). The panel contributions are as follows: First, we will set the foundation and elaborate on the global loneliness policy landscape and reveal which countries have picked up this issue in national policies, how loneliness is addressed at the political level and how those policies came to be. We will be drawing on insights from an analysis of policy documents and interviews with policy makers. We will then discuss Finland's national loneliness policy, because unlike many other countries, Finland's action plan was initiated by researchers and later adopted by the government - without direct government funding. The suggested actions can all be implemented using existing resources. The Finnish approach highlights how research, policy, and practice are interconnected. A lead policy analyst within the Horizon Europe-funded LONELY-EU consortium, will further discuss evidence-based policy recommendations to address social isolation and loneliness across Europe. Drawing on her extensive experience in the European Parliament and the European Parliament's first pilot project on loneliness, this section will highlight the importance of continued policy work. Lastly, we explore these themes through the lens of the H2020 project, RECETAS (Reimagining Environments for Connection and Engagement: Testing Actions for Social Prescribing in Natural Spaces), which focuses on loneliness and the implementation and evaluation of 6 intervention studies testing nature-based social prescriptions. This section will demonstrate how a “Pathways to Impact” framework can be implemented for the adoption, implementation, and maintenance of system-level changes. Key messages • This roundtable will highlight how loneliness policies can be shaped to generate actionable insights for national adoption, implementation, and long-term impact. • The roundtable will highlight how national policies and EU research initiatives can align to address loneliness through a coordinated, system-level action across Europe. Speakers/Panellists Nina Goldman University of Southern Denmark, Esbjerg, Denmark Niina Junttila University of Turku, Turku, Finland Judith Merkies Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands Jill Litt Barcelona Institute of Global Health (ISGlobal), Spain