Swedish minister campaigns against loneliness

The initiative will take three years and aims at combating involuntary loneliness, Varlden Idag reports. The government will invest 300 million SEK (about 27 million euros). The investments will go to municipalities but also to civil actors.

According to Minister Forssmed, loneliness is a social problem and results in health risks. He points out that lonely people are more likely to develop dementia, mental illnesses or strokes. “As many as half a million Swedes suffer from being alone”, he writes in an e-mail to Varlden Idag.

Forssmed says that funds can be used to provide increased opportunities for elderly people to meet each other and talk about their life. He adds that the government will keep an eye on how the money is invested.

Churches play an important role in combating loneliness, he continues. “They are a clear example of communities that create togetherness and can prevent or mitigate this type of problem”, he says. In his opinion, loneliness can only be solved by relationships with other people. “Here, the churches have a lot to offer, both in their usual broad activities and by paying attention to those who need extra support.”

Bus

In the Swedish towns of Småland and Bohuslän, a special Christmas bus is on its way to combat loneliness. The Christian association Bussmissionen, which is behind the campaign, notices that the Swedes feel a need to talk and have more interest in the church than before the Covid pandemic. That is reported by Varlden Idag.

The bus stops at nine locations, says Ove Jonsson, who is in charge of the bus. He and his team focus most on conversations with people who visit the bus. They meet many who are mentally ill or who worry about the situation in the world. Also, they see that many people feel lonely and need to talk to someone. “Sometimes, people say when they leave: “Thank you for what you said.” And then I did not really say much. I just listened”, Jonsson tells Varlden Idag.

At every bus stop, volunteers pour coffee, distribute Bibles, put on some Christmas music and give people the opportunity to browse through some Christian books. “People who are not used to church can be surprised that there is such literature”, Jonsson says. “Sometimes, they buy books for their grandchildren.”