To kick off the action week "Together Out of Loneliness," the Competence Network on Loneliness (KNE), in cooperation with the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, held its fourth conference on May 26, 2025.
At the center of the interdisciplinary event were the questions: What are the psychological, social, and societal dimensions of loneliness – and what joint strategies can be developed to overcome it? The conference brought together numerous experts from science and practice as well as political decision-makers, providing space for specialist input, discussion of policy measures, and personal perspectives.
Key results from the qualitative study "Lonely Among Many" (2024) were presented, examining the subjective experience of lonely people and illustrating the diverse manifestations and individual backgrounds of loneliness.
A panel discussion addressed selected aspects of the federal loneliness strategy, with particular emphasis on the fact that people who perform care work – such as childcare or eldercare – face an elevated risk of loneliness under certain structural and social conditions.
As Peplau (1981) defined it: "Loneliness is the unpleasant experience that occurs when a person's network of social relations is deficient in some important way – either quantitatively or qualitatively."
Prof. Dr. Tajana Grießmann-Gehrt focuses on the phenomenon of loneliness in the context of digital media use, exploring how digital communication forms influence social experience and may contribute to or counteract loneliness.
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