Foreword

The COVID-19 pandemic has in many ways challenged the health and well-being of people, and more widely, the welfare systems in the Nordic countries. Due to regulations and lockdowns, many people have experienced social isolation, and certain vulnerable groups – such as older adults and those with disabilities – have been hit especially hard. As loneliness has implications for people’s long-term mental and physical health, the consequences of the pandemic are significant for health and social care as a whole.

To draw attention to the social impact of COVID-19, the Nordic Council of Ministers assigned the Nordic Welfare Centre to explore the experiences of social isolation and loneliness during the pandemic and to provide a compilation of available Nordic knowledge.

Did loneliness increase during the pandemic, then? If so, for whom? How can social isolation and loneliness be reduced? In two separate publications, we strive to answer these questions.

The first report, The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on social isolation and loneliness. A Nordic research review, surveys empirical studies conducted in the Nordic countries. The literature review was carried out by professor Marja Aartsen and research assistant Franziska Rothe at OsloMet between April and September 2022. The report describes the impact of the pandemic on loneliness and social isolation among adults, and also identifies groups that were particularly vulnerable to loneliness and social isolation.

The second report, Reducing social isolation and loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic. Examples of promising practice from the Nordic countries, presents cases of what was done in the Nordic region to alleviate loneliness during the pandemic. The material for this report was collected between June and September 2022. Michaela von Kügelgen, a journalist and a social scientist, draws from a pool of different examples to show that there are many ways to tackle social isolation and loneliness.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted many challenges to our Nordic welfare systems. To realise our vision of a socially sustainable Nordic region, we need means, reforms, and methods that contribute to good health and welfare for all. By sharing research and experiences across the Nordic region, we hope to be better prepared for future crises.

The Nordic Welfare Centre would like to thank the authors Marja Aartsen, Franziska Rothe, and Michaela von Kügelgen for their excellent work. Invaluable support has been received by the Nordic expert group of specialists and researchers on loneliness and social isolation. Thank you for insightful conversations over the years.

Eva Franzén, Director, Nordic Welfare Centre