CERGAS Seminar "Interventions to address loneliness – evidence from recent work "

Loneliness is a complex and widespread issue that affects people of all ages and backgrounds. It is considered a risk factor for mental and physical health and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. It can also have significant negative social and economic consequences. The Joint Research Centre (JRC), in collaboration with the European Parliament and the European Commission Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs & Inclusion, has studied loneliness in the EU within the framework of the pilot project “Monitoring Loneliness in Europe”.  In this seminar, the authors will discuss their two ongoing research papers on loneliness interventions. The first one is an umbrella review on interventions to address loneliness (Barjaková, Buecker, Casabianca, Nurminen & Kern). The study provides a comprehensive overview of the evidence on the effectiveness of loneliness interventions to date. The second paper (Nurminen & Casabianca) explores qualitative insights on intervention effectiveness based on expert interviews.

Speakers:

Minna Nurminen is a Socio-Economic Analyst at the Joint Research Centre (currently on parental leave) and PhD researcher at the University of Helsinki. In her role at the JRC, she has focused on policy-oriented research in the areas of loneliness, fairness and gender equality. Her PhD examines sustainable wellbeing and how professional and personal circumstances contribute to a good life. Prior to joining the JRC, Minna gained policy and research experience at the European Commission and UN Women, working on topics related to labor market and gender parity. Minna holds an MSc degree in Comparative Social Policy from the University of Oxford and a Master’s degree in Social and Public Policy from the University of Helsinki.

Elizabeth Casabianca is a Socio-Economic Analyst at the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission. Her main interests lay in the field of gender, poverty and loneliness. She particularly looks to carry out research with specific policy implications.
Prior to joining the JRC, Elizabeth worked as an applied economist in a research and advisory company based in Bologna, where she was mainly involved in analysing the implications of economic policies on income distribution. Prior to that, she held a post-doc position at the Polytechnic University of Marche. She has also collaborated with the Gender Section of UNCTAD, particularly on capacity building activities. Elizabeth holds a PhD in Economics and has taught classes both at undergraduate and graduate level.

Link zoom:

https://unibocconi-it.zoom.us/j/92224034441?pwd=sF4uqGTutb9TFpojrkDelJtau0XYmy.1

Meeting ID:

922 2403 4441

Passcode:

020790

Lunch at the end of the meeting: for those willing to participate in person, click here before the 4th of March.