Establishing Social Connections in Urban Areas: Evaluating a Community-based Programme

Tackling Youth Loneliness in Urban Areas: Measuring Feasibility, Acceptability, and Benefits of a Community-based Intervention.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a new community-based programme designed to tackle loneliness for young and working-age adults. The programme focuses on encouraging social interactions and connections through offering community initiatives and activities, online spaces for interaction, and free or low-cost social events for young adults. Further aims of this study are to determine the cost-effectiveness of the programme.

Loneliness is associated with adverse mental and physical health outcomes. Most interventions are aimed at older adults even though young adults, including those of working-age, have been identified as being at-risk for persistent loneliness. This study aims to formatively evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a community-based social interaction intervention. Therefore, the main objectives of this study are to:

1. Assess the feasibility and acceptability of the community-based intervention.
2. To determine the costs and effects related to the community-based intervention using quantitative feasibility study data and qualitative interviews with study participants.

In this mixed-methods two-arm randomised feasibility study with qualitative evaluation, participants will be randomly allocated to the community-based intervention over 12 weeks or to the wait-list control group. The intervention consists of weekly community social activities with the aim of reducing feelings of loneliness. Participants in the wait-list control group can continue any standard care or support they were receiving e.g. use of GP or mental health services. For both groups, online self-report assessments will take place at baseline (time 0, t0), 12-week follow-up (end of the intervention period; time 1, t1) and 6-weeks post intervention (18-weeks after baseline, time 2, t2). For the intervention group, an additional qualitative interview will be taken at the final timepoint (time 3, t3; 6 weeks post-intervention).

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age 20-40
• Reside in London
• Reports that they are some of the time or often lonely in response to a single questionnaire item ("How often do you feel lonely?)
• No prior interaction with the community-based intervention we are investigating
• Able to communicate in English sufficiently well to engage in qualitative interviews and complete the outcome measures and questionnaires.
• Available and willing to participate in the study for 18 weeks

Exclusion Criteria:

• Age < 20 or age >40.
• Resides outside of London.
• Does not report frequent levels of loneliness ("hardly ever or never" in response to single questionnaire item).
• Previously attended any event or is an existing member of the community-based programme that is forming the intervention arm.
• Unable to communicate even with communication support.
• Planned unavailability for >3 weeks during intervention and follow up periods.
• Participating in another research project related to loneliness.
• Reports current severe unstable health problems (mental or physical) or is deemed overburdened with respect to participating in research.