Pedro Gallo

Youth loneliness has emerged as a major social concern, yet its associated social factors remain insufficiently understood. Using nationally representative data from the 2023 Survey of Spanish Youth, this study examines loneliness among young people aged 15–34 in Spain, focusing on gender differences in both its prevalence and its associated social factors. Loneliness is measured using the 3-item University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale. We analysed its relationship with sociodemographic, economic, relational, digital and psychosocial factors through multivariate regression models stratified by gender. Nearly one third of young people report experiencing loneliness, with a higher prevalence among women. Mental well-being shows the strongest association with loneliness, followed by material deprivation and recent life transitions. Relational embeddedness—especially the frequency of contact with friends—and sexual orientation are also strongly associated with loneliness, with marked differences by gender. Passive social media use shows a modest but significant association. The findings indicate that loneliness among young people is associated not only with individual psychological characteristics but also with inequalities in relational integration and material conditions, while gender shapes the relative importance of these associations. The study underlines the importance of adopting a gender-sensitive and life-course perspective in research and policy responses addressing youth loneliness.

In ageing societies, understanding the lived experiences of dependent older adults is essential for designing care policies that support health, dignity, and well-being. While ageing in place is widely promoted, less is known about how dependent older adults themselves define its limits. This study examines how dependent older adults describe the conditions under which ageing in place supports-or undermines- their dignity and quality of life. We conducted 30 in-depth interviews with individuals aged 65 and older in Barcelona, Spain, all officially recognized as having some degree of dependency. Interviews were analysed using a thematic approach, according to environmental gerontology and person-environment fit frameworks. Ageing in place emerged not as a fixed preference but as a fragile and continuously negotiated process of the person-place relationship. Remaining at home is sustained by symbolic autonomy and attachment to familiar environments, supporting control over daily routines and a sense of dignity. At the same time, participants described a state of care liminality, continuously reassessing their ability to remain at home in light of anticipated health decline. Three interconnected boundaries emerged: deteriorating health, perceived burden on family members, and loneliness. Ageing in place among dependent older adults should be understood as a conditional and relational process rather than a universal ideal. Recognising older adults' own definitions of its limits is essential for designing responsive care policies.

INTRODUCCIÓ. L’etapa universitària sovint inclou episodis vitals que coincideixen amb processos de transició a la vida adulta que poden desencadenar malestars emocionals. Aquest estudi analitza el nivell de benestar de l’alumnat de la Universitat de Barcelona (UB) i la seva relació amb factors sociodemogràfics i acadèmics. MÈTODE. Es va administrar en línia l’escala WHO-5 Well-Being Index a una mostra de 1.485 estudiants. RESULTATS. Més de la meitat de l’alumnat (52,4 %) presenta un baix benestar emocional. El percentatge és superior entre les dones (59 %), l’alumnat a temps complet (57,1 %) i les persones amb condicions que afecten l’aprenentatge (71,4 %). L'alumnat de ciències de la salut mostra nivells lleugerament més alts de benestar, tot i que les diferències no són estadísticament significatives. CONCLUSIONS. Els baixos nivells de benestar emocional observats recomanen impulsar intervencions específiques per millorar el benestar de l’alumnat de la UB. Tot i que es tracta d’un estudi pioner, la mostra no és prou representativa de tota la comunitat estudiantil. Malgrat aquesta limitació, l’estudi proporciona informació rellevant que pot orientar futures iniciatives en aquest àmbit.

Background: The intersection between poverty and mental health is clear. Period poverty, understood as the lack of access to menstrual products, has been gaining attention especially among low and middle-income countries as an overlooked aspect of gendered poverty. Less is known about the incidence of period poverty in high-income countries and its association with mental health. The purpose of this study is to examine this association in a representative sample of young women living in an urban setting in southern Europe. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. Data were obtained from a representative survey of individuals aged 15 to 34 in the city of Barcelona (Spain), with a sample group of 647 young women. Subjects were selected through a systematic stratified random sampling method. A proportional quota sampling was used. The information was registered using CAPI data collection method. Period poverty was measured by a combination of three questions about the lack of access or misuse of menstrual products for economic reasons. The GHQ-12 was used to measure the risk of poor mental health. The analysis was carried out using multivariable logistic regression. Results: From our sample, 15.3% of young women reported having experienced period poverty. Higher odds of poor mental health were estimated for women facing period poverty (AOR = 1.85 p < 0.05). This effect is statistically significant after controlling by their income status and level of deprivation. Young women living in poorer households have a higher probability of poor mental health than those living in high-income households (AOR = 0.47 p < 0.05). Finally, material deprivation was associated to an increased risk of poor mental health among young women reporting period poverty (AOR = 2.59 p < 0.01). Conclusion: We found that a considerable number of young women living in an urban setting in a high-income country cannot afford menstrual products, and this may have an impact on their mental wellbeing. The relationship between period poverty and respondents’ mental health is significant when controlling for factors known to confer an increased risk of poor mental health. If confirmed by further research, the public health burden of poor mental health in young women could be reduced by policy-level interventions to improve access to menstrual products.

Menstrual poverty has become a global issue, affecting women who do not have access to the menstrual products they need. Most of the related literature is based on low- and middle-income countries’ facts and experiences. Using the 2020 Youth Survey in Barcelona, this cross-sectional study provides novel data on the prevalence and the factors associated with menstrual poverty in an urban context (Barcelona) in a high-income country (Spain) with a randomly selected representative sample of 700 young women aged 15 to 34. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression models were used in the analysis. Results show that 15.3 per cent of young women in Barcelona reported facing financial barriers to accessing menstrual products. Further, those young women with a high level of material deprivation (OR=4.42; CI=2.14–9.16) have a greater probability of suffering from menstrual poverty, whereas those living independently from their parents (OR=0.50; CI=0.28–0.90) and women with a non-EU origin (Latin-Americans: OR=0.54; CI=0.31–0.93; Others: OR=0.06; CI=0.01–0.46) have a lower probability of reporting menstrual poverty. Our findings advocate that the measurement of poverty should consider individual aspects and needs, and not only the household income level as the reference. Further, we would encourage rethinking poverty measurement with a gender perspective, as well as identifying how deprivations overlap to aggravate the experience of poverty.

Purpose: Despite the popularity of talent management (TM), very little has been published on the community of scholars that contribute to the knowledge base of the field. The purpose of this paper is to disclose the dynamics in TM research through a detailed analysis of its evolving collaboration networks (i.e. research communities) in order to identify key authors and major topics covered. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 225 co-authored articles published on TM from 2001 to May 2016 were retrieved from the Web of Science and Scopus and then analyzed and mapped using social network analysis methods. Findings: The authors identified two major scientific communities (one of 63 authors and the other one of 24 authors). Both communities not only have different characteristics and structure, but also focus on different topics. The authors identified key players within each community and offer a dynamic view on the main topics studied. Practical implications: This paper may help practitioners and newcomers to the field to rapidly identify key players and main topics studied in the TM field. It may assist academic institutions and journal editorial teams in better assessing and identifying key scholars in this field. Originality/value: This paper offers the first analysis of TM collaborative research networks.