Loneliness in the digital age and the intangible aspects of care are the focus of two ICS projects supported by the PIUNA call for proposals

Thanks to the University of Navarra’s Plan for research s (PIUNA), two projects will be carried out under the research Institute for Culture and Society (ICS): Intangibles of Care (INTA-CARE) and Adaptive Mechanisms Influencing Socialization and Loneliness in Everyday Life (AMISTAD)

The “INTANgibles of Care” project , led by María Arantzamendi, principal investigator at the ATLANTES Global Palliative Care Observatory, and Mariano Crespo, Full Professor of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, has the goal of studying the “intangibles” in the field of palliative care. “Researching the intangibles of care (e.g., trust, non- withdrawality…) for people with serious and advanced illnesses and their families allows us to delve deeper into the values and meaning of caregiving. It’s about understanding what it means to care for a person in all their dimensions, beyond the illness and the stage of their life,” notes Arantzamendi.

Through this research, the aim is to describe, justify, and operationalize the phenomena that constitute the intangible aspects of care from an interdisciplinary, philosophical, and ethical perspective. It also aims to develop resources that help professionals recognize, cultivate, and reflect on these aspects of care.

In addition, the “ project ”(AMISTAD) project, whose principal investigators are Aurelio Fernández of the “group ” (Youth in transition) and María Fernández-Vigil, a professor at the Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura (ETSA), will focus its study on how everyday social interactions and moments spent alone affect loneliness, a phenomenon that is becoming increasingly common in our society.

“Loneliness is a complex phenomenon that can have significant implications for psychological well-being, social relationships, health, and other areas. In today’s society, where we are increasingly hyperconnected, understanding why people feel lonely, when they experience that feeling, and what factors can intensify or alleviate it is particularly important,” notes Fernández.

In Spain, one in four adults reports experiencing frequent loneliness. This project will lay the instructions for understanding this phenomenon through a quantitative study that will follow 1,200 Spanish adults for one month. The study will record how participants experience their social interactions and moments spent alone, taking into account how the frequency, quality, and balance of these experiences impact their levels of loneliness. At the same time, the study will analyze how the use of digital devices and physical spaces moderates these associations, as well as individual differences among older adults. Finally, it will also examine how recent films construct cultural narratives about social interactions and loneliness and how these narratives influence people’s interpretations and emotional experiences of their social lives.

Both Arantzamendi and Fernández emphasize the importance of this institutional support. Arantzamendi states, “The fact that the evaluation committee has determined that our project —an interdisciplinary initiative—aligns with the strategic priorities of the University of Navarra represents significant backing for our continued progress at research. In addition to financial support, this backing helps raise awareness of a reality of care in situations of serious illness that deserves greater attention.”

For his part, Fernández notes that “this support allows us not only to carry out the project, but also to give it greater visibility, reinforce our commitment to advancing the knowledge of social dynamics in everyday life, and continue to deepen our understanding of a complex phenomenon that directly affects people’s well-being.” In this regard, “through knowledge transfer activities, it will help bring the research closer to the university community and contribute, in the long term, to the development of initiatives that help prevent and address loneliness.”

This support reinforces the University of Navarra’s commitment to the “ research ” (University of the Future), a cornerstone for building “ knowledge ” and contributing to the advancement of society.