The PSOE proposes the creation of a Department of Loneliness in the Cabildo

"It would be aimed at the elderly, people with disabilities, people with mental disorders or socially marginalized people," says Marcial Martín

October 26 2022 (19:38 WEST)
Updated in October 27 2022 (07:12 WEST)
Proposal of the PSOE of Lanzarote, Department of Loneliness | Cabildo de Lanzarote

The Socialist Party of Lanzarote has requested the Cabildo to create a Department of Loneliness that collects, measures and quantifies the levels of unwanted loneliness on the island and implements the appropriate actions to combat it. The agreement was adopted at the last meeting of the Island Executive Commission at the proposal of Marcial Martín Bermúdez, president of the party.

The proposal states that, according to the Spanish Red Cross, 27 percent of the elderly they care for never or almost never receive visits, and 23 percent have no one to tell their concerns to. These are significant data about people who are alone and without support networks. 

Despite the hyper-connectivity that surrounds the contemporary world, the number of people who express that they feel increasingly lonely continues to grow. Along with the feeling of loneliness, other problems related to mental health appear, which is why there is a need to study, understand and face this reality, which has led to the creation of Ministries of Loneliness in some countries, such as England or Japan.

The creation of a public service of this type would be oriented to serve, especially, the people most at risk (elderly, with disabilities, with mental disorders or socially marginalized, among others) in order to offer help. In fact, the PSOE-Unidas Podemos coalition program for the Government of Spain includes the approval of a strategy against unwanted loneliness.

Likewise, adolescents and young adults, hidden behind technological advances, are increasingly isolating themselves from the world, so the growing loneliness is expanding in other segments of the population, including youth. Among the possible actions to be carried out to combat loneliness would be to involve both neighbors and different professionals from the administration or volunteer personnel, the proposal concludes.

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