Creating Encounters Between Generations - Together Instead of Alone (GemsE)

Creating Encounters: Generations in Action - Together Instead of Alone (GemsE)

Elderly people and children and young people (CYP) and from families with mentally ill parents are particularly affected by loneliness. The GemsE project is investigating whether intergenerational mentoring between seniors and children or young people helps to reduce loneliness and improve the mental well-being and quality of life of both groups. The aim of the study is to scientifically record the effect of these sponsorships and to find out how such encounters can be successfully organized.

The GemsE project - Creating Encounters: Generations in Action - Together Instead of Alone is an interventional study evaluating intergenerational mentoring between seniors and CYP from families with parents who have mental illness. The aim is to build stable, voluntary relationships that reduce loneliness and improve the mental well-being and health-related quality of life of both groups.

As part of the study, approximately 40 seniors and 40 children or adolescents will be accompanied in sponsorships over a period of six months. The impact of the sponsorships will be measured using standardized, validated questionnaires on loneliness, psychosocial well-being, and health-related quality of life. The results should provide insights into how intergenerational sponsorships can be effectively designed and integrated into psychosocial care services.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Older adults aged 60 years and older who are residents of Hamburg
• Children and adolescents aged 12 to 21 years with at least one parent with a mental illness and who are residents of Hamburg
• Sufficient German language proficiency
• Ability and willingness to provide informed consent to participate in the study

Exclusion Criteria:

• Children and adolescents with severe acute psychological symptoms requiring inpatient treatment, including acute suicidality, acute substance use, or acute psychotic symptoms
• Older adults with acute psychological crises or untreated severe mental illness preventing reliable participation
• Older adults with cognitive impairment or dementia preventing reliable participation in the intervention