Prachir Pasricha

Prachir Pasricha (he/him) spent the summer working with the Foundation for Social Connection, an organization dedicated to addressing the crisis of connection and loneliness. Measuring our connections is difficult, however, Prachir has compiled, reviewed and sought to understand what tools can help us in this task. 

Report

Measuring Social Connection: The State of Affairs and the Path Forward 

As more community-based organizations, healthcare professionals, and government agencies seek to address the epidemic of loneliness through creating programs and services that foster social connection, it becomes increasingly important to be able to effectively measure this complex concept. Through developing an inventory of tools used to measure social connection, social isolation, and loneliness, Prachir aims to create a resource that practitioners can use to identify which tool(s) to implement in evaluating the impact of their interventions. This process — involving desktop research and conversations with practitioners and researchers in the field — also revealed measurement challenges and gaps in the landscape of measures available. These informed recommendations to ensure that future efforts to measure social connection are inclusive, meaningful, and practical. 

Social Connection Measurement Tools Inventory 

This inventory compiles 55+ tools used to measure social connection, social isolation, and/or loneliness. Various categories provide further details on these measures, including target demographics, research on psychometric properties, and translations. Through filtering, grouping, and sorting the tools, you can begin to identify which tool(s) are most appropriate for your context.  

Social Connection Measurement Tools Inventory User Guide. 

Community Engagement Initiative

Prachir brought together nine researchers and practitioners from across the US and Europe who are measuring social connection, social isolation, and/or loneliness for a virtual session. He wanted to understand measurement best practices, challenges and how the group was interfacing with the tools. Read more in Connecting the Dots! 

Read Prachir’s Blog: Building for Connection Through the 15-Minute City 

Bio

Prachir Pasricha (he/him) is committed to building a more relational way of life that centres care, cooperation, and interdependence in communities by utilizing his experiences in participatory budgeting, social infrastructure, and the social solidarity economy. Through his work and writing, he hopes to raise awareness for and address the systemic and structural barriers that people face in living more socially connected lives. Prachir holds a Bachelor’s degree in Honours Business Administration from Western University in London, Ontario. 

Keywords

Social connection, social isolation, loneliness, measurement, evaluation, impact assessment, tools, measures, screening, inventory