“Mental health is a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community” (WHO. World Health Organization)
“Lonliness is a subjective unpleasant feeling due to a mismatch between their desired social relationship and their existing social environment” (Perlman, 2004)
INTRODUCTION
This manual and the information it contains are the result of a 4-month final project as part of a master's degree program in Sustainable Design Engineering
The aim of this project was to create a participatory game that will help eliminate the stigma around the topic of loneliness among young adults, as well as discover how elements of the urban environment improve people's well-being, which can be later used by professionals while working on future projects.
The manual contains important information on loneliness, like statistics, interesting findings from interviews with professionals, as well as instructions on how to play the game, and one set of cards and tokens.
Stress and stress-related symptoms are a major, and in recent years increasing, cause of work incapacity and sick leave in Denmark 1
Prolonged loneliness leads to severe unhappiness and increases the risk of illness and premature death, impacting both individuals and society.
The increasing number of citizens who are incapable of working and who are on sick leave owing to stress-related symptoms puts a burden on the Danish welfare economy, and threatens the quality of life of the stressed individuals and their relatives
7,4 in healthcare, early retirement pensions, and lost productivity. 2
DKK billion annually Loneliness costs society
ANNUAL IMPACT OF LONELINESS IN DENMARK
600,000
370 additional deaths
232 additional newly awarded early retirement pensions
2,800 lost life years among women
individuals aged 16 and above experienced loneliness in Denmark 3
9% of people aged 16-29 felt lonely all or most of the time in 2022, being the largest age group feeling lonely most frequently compared to other age groups
4,300 lost life years among men
8,900 extra psychiatric admissions
449,000 additional medical contacts
579,000 extra days of long-term sick leave
145,000
young individuals aged 16 to 24 are experiencing loneliness in Denmark3
10% of students claim to be lonely. It might be related to different life transitions, like moving to a new home and new city to study, and establishing new relations from the ground up.
INTERVIEWS
WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR URBAN DESIGN ARISE
FROM INSIGHTS SHARED BY PROFESSIONALS AND CITIZENS?
During the project, interviews were conducted with professionals in architecture, urban planning, academia, and healthcare. Their insights on loneliness and urban environments were essential given the project's multifaceted nature. Here, we present the common themes and issues that emerged from these interviews, which form the basis of our findings. Six recurring themes were identified: Connect, Accessibility/Belonging, Understanding Performativity, Nature as a Health Tool, Creating a Framework or Design Tool with Guidelines, and Collecting Data in the Design Process. In the affinity diagram, we observe that the most frequently mentioned categories are "Connect" and "Understanding Performativity".
Overall, we gained valuable insights from these interviews with various professionals. Some insights were derived directly from their words and reflections on their own concerns, while others emerged from our analysis of their responses. A significant understanding we obtained was the notable lack of interdisciplinary collaboration, particularly between professionals and citizens.
ONLINE QUESTIONNAIRE
We conducted an online questionnaire as an initial means of engaging with citizens in Copenhagen. This tool enabled us to gain insight into their emotions, experiences, and utilisation patterns concerning public spaces within the city. The questionnaire, comprising 10 questions aimed at collecting empirical data, included several with open-ended response options.
Some of the closed-ended questions we asked were: How often do you spend time outside? with more than 50% of people spending time outside every day.
We received 41 responses to the questionnaire, it is essential to note that this represents only a small fraction of Copenhagen's total population of around 600,000 inhabitants. Despite the small percentage, these responses still offer valuable insights into the sentiments and preferences of a portion of the city's residents, guiding us in our exploration of urban space enhancements.
The next one was: What is the purpose of you spending time outside? with 31 people answering that the purpose was to meet people. Lastly, What could make you spend more time outside in your neighbourhood? where more than 20 people answered that more greenery and outdoor seating would help them with that.
To analyse the empirical data obtained from open questions through this method, we created an affinity diagram grouping the responses into 8 categories that were most frequently mentioned by citizens in Copenhagen.
The most important and recurring aspects described by people as their dream outdoor spaces were related to green spaces and nearby amenities. This information provided valuable insights for our game preparation, especially in terms of chosen categories of urban environment elements.
To analyse the empirical data obtained from open questions through this method, we created an affinity diagram grouping the responses into 8 categories that were most frequently mentioned by citizens in Copenhagen.
The most important and recurring aspects described by people as their dream outdoor spaces were related to green spaces and nearby amenities. This information provided valuable insights for our game preparation, especially in terms of chosen categories of urban environment elements.
INTRODUCTION TO THE GAME
To efficiently engage young adults in discussing the challenging and stigmatised topic of loneliness and how the urban environment influences their experiences, we chose to create a game that could be used as a tool. Aiming to open conversations and transform serious topics into more casual discussions, help create a more pleasant atmosphere around them, and hopefully alleviate the fear of speaking about feeling lonely.
The game is a participatory design game that consists of 80 cards depicting various elements of urban environments, as well as tokens representing diverse positive emotions and feelings that can be used to describe how these urban elements are influencing the well-being of individuals.
To play the game, you will need pens, glue, adhesive tape, and larger sheets of paper or boards on which you can draw matrices on which the game participants will place their cards (the template of the matrices will be provided later in the manual).
HOW TO USE THE GAME?
The game can be used in different ways:
Individuals feeling lonely can utilise the game as a self discovery tool and a guide on how to alleviate feelings associated with loneliness and enhance their urban environment experiences.
Architects and urban planners can put the tool in practice in their work. It can function as a conversation starter on the topics of urban health, potentially fostering open dialogue among community members and professionals engaged in site specific design projects, taking into consideration their matters of concern.
It can serve as a valuable instrument for collecting insights into loneliness as well as mental health, providing a deeper understanding of the diverse perspectives within the community, helping academics and researchers to gather data for their studies
Large organisations, such as environmental, governmental and political entities, can use the tool when initiating projects and wanting to involve the citizens in the processes, showing a willingness to take into account the opinions of the residents for whom these projects are being created
THE CARDS
THE MATRIX
HOW TO PLAY THE GAME?
The game was designed to be played in a group due to one of its goals, which is to open conversations between people and destigmatise loneliness by gaining knowledge about its subjectivity. Game consists of 4 phases.
1. SELECTING CARDS
Each group chooses between 3 to 5 cards per situation from a set of options. Each player should have a minimum of 6 cards and a maximum of 10 cards in total. These cards represent activities or elements that they find helpful in addressing feelings of loneliness, as well as their ideal solutions This phase lasts up to 10 minutes.
2. INDIVIDUAL WORK
Participants write their names on the chosen cards and consider how these urban environment elements impact their emotions and well-being. They attach "superpowers" tokens to each card and briefly justify their choices by writing down explanations. This phase also lasts up to 10 minutes.
3A. GROUP DISCUSSION: CURRENT SITUATIONS (MATRIX 1)
Each player takes turns starting a discussion by explaining their chosen elements/activities that help them during moments of loneliness. They place the cards on Matrix 1 to represent their current situations, and everyone is welcome to discuss and ask questions about other people's choices. This part lasts up to 10 minutes
3B. GROUP DISCUSSION: IDEAL SITUATIONS (MATRIX 2)
The same procedure is repeated on Matrix 2, where participants explain their ideal situations and how urban environment elements could ideally help them with the feeling of loneliness. This phase also lasts up to 10 minutes.
4. PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION
Each group presents their Matrix boards, with one spokesperson representing the group. Engage in discussions with other groups, exploring differences in perceptions of loneliness and potential solutions. This part lasts 15 minutes. Participants share their observations, insights, and any surprises they encountered during the game This dialogue encourages a deeper exploration of the urban environment's impact on loneliness and fosters a sense of collective understanding.
BENEFITS OF USING THE TOOL
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
The game is, to some extent, a "bridge" between units, supporting the information flow process that has not been functioning well between professionals and citizens.
It is also a tool supporting the process of destigmatizing loneliness by facilitating the opening of conversations between young adults on how they perceive their loneliness.
The game also supports their understanding and self-awareness of what in urban environments helps alleviate their loneliness, as well as what emotions and feelings accompany them.
Cristina Campos is an architect currently completing her Master's thesis in Sustainable Design Engineering at Aalborg University, delving into the correlation between Urban Environments and Mental Health, with a particular emphasis on combating loneliness among young adults
Cristina is deeply passionate about urban design and its influence on citizens' health and well-being She focuses on social sustainability and community engagement, advocating for inclusive and human-centric spaces through co-design and participatory strategies Cristina is eager to contribute to innovative urban projects in Copenhagen that prioritize sustainability and community well-being.
Dominika Pancerz is a mechanical engineer, currently completing her Masters degree in Sustainable Design Engineering at Aalborg University in Copenhagen. Her thesis focuses on the interconnectedness of urban environments and mental health, with a specific focus on the feeling of loneliness among young adults and how thoughtfully designed cities can help mitigate it She is committed to pioneering healthcare solutions, with a particular focus on revolutionizing the mental health support landscape She is passionate about imagining and implementing innovative approaches that not only address the complexity of mental health conditions, but also prioritize accessibility, effectiveness and inclusion.
