Right to Belong: Tackling Loneliness and Ostracism during Childhood and Youth

Description of the granted funding

The main aim of R-to-B is to find context-related (families, peer groups, social media, and schools) solutions to child and youth loneliness and ostracism to minimize the risk of inequality, marginalization, mental disorders, and radicalization. The study includes biomarkers, large-scale national and international surveys, register data, action research, and RCT-based interventions to study the complex phenomenon of social outsiderhood and create societal-level actions and practical solutions to enhance children's and adolescents' psycho-social well-being, agency, and safety. R-to-B is a consortium of four leading universities with experts in educational psychology, sociology, medicine, child psychiatry, neuroscience, economics, and information technology. Important partners include the ITLA, Family Federation, EDUFIN and THL. R-to-B has intensive collaboration with international experts and national stakeholders, including Parliament, ministries, NGOs and municipalities.
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Starting year

2025

End year

2028

Granted funding

Marja-Kristiina Lerkkanen
138 698 €









Role in consortium of the Academy of Finland

Partner

Other consortium parties

Partner
University of Turku (372254)
281 968 €
Partner
Aalto University (372255)
407 622 €
Partner
University of Jyväskylä (372256)
134 301 €
Partner
University of Turku (372258)
30 550 €
Partner
Family Federation of Finland (372278)
241 533 €
Partner
(372280)
47 369 €
Leader
University of Turku (372253)
660 196 €
Partner
University of Helsinki (372257)
275 104 €

Funder

Research Council of Finland

Funding instrument

Strategic Research Funding

Decision maker

Strategic Research Council
16.06.2025

Other information

Funding decision number

372259

Fields of science

Psychology

Research fields

Kehitys- ja kasvatuspsykologia

Themes

Lapset ja nuoret – hyvinvoivat tulevaisuuden tekijät

Identified topics

mental well-being, mental health