This first publication of Fit 2 Belong is the culmination of work conducted in the first phase of the Fit2Belong project. Based on extensive desk research and interviews across Europe with young people aged 14-16 years, the researchers have developed a framework that provides guidance for the development of teaching and learning materials for youth who report loneliness. These materials will be created during the Phases 2 and 3 of the Fit2Belong project. The framework detailed within this report was developed following a thorough review of the academic and grey literature on youth loneliness, which assessed what is already known about loneliness in young people and what has been done about it thus far. The researchers also conducted interviews with young people across five partner European countries exploring loneliness from the perspective of young people in different cultures, something missing from the academic and grey literature. Together, the results from the review and the interviews enables the reader to identify foci for targeted intervention to help adolescents cope better with loneliness. This framework was published by Dr Rebecca Jefferson, University of Exeter, University of Manchester, Professor Manuela Barreto, University of Exeter, Professor Pamela Qualter, University of Manchester and Ms. Lily Verity, University of Manchester, with help from all partners. Download the publication in English here. or visit the Results page to download a version in Dutch, English, Lithuanian, Polish, Portuguese, Serbian or Turkish language.
