About LONELINESS
LONELINESS 2026 is the LONELINESS -8th International Interdisciplinary Conference online, a psychology conference. It takes place on 8 October 2026 in Poland. Full papers were due 18 September 2026.
Deadline for proposals: 18 September 2026
Conference: 8-9 October 2026 (online)
CFP: LONELINESS
What makes us happy and content in our life? Some people may point to fabulous fame, fortune, or money. Others may argue that interpersonal relationships are the key to happiness. But what if someone is alone? Is loneliness truly disastrous? Are there any benefits of loneliness? Can loneliness become an epidemic? To address these questions, this event focuses on a wide range of specific issues. We are interested in exploring all aspects of loneliness, both in the past and in the present-day world. The conference is intended as an interdisciplinary event. Hence, we invite researchers representing various academic disciplines: sociology, psychology, psychiatry, philosophy, anthropology, gender studies, literary studies, theatre studies, film studies, consciousness studies, social policy, cognitive sciences, and history, among others.
The aim of our conference is to provide opportunities for researchers from a range of disciplines and countries to share their research, create an academically challenging and productive space for discussion, and enable them to establish long-lasting, ever-growing scientific networks and contacts with professionals worldwide.
We welcome submissions from both experienced scholars and young academics at the beginning of their careers, as well as doctoral and graduate students. We also invite individuals interested in participating in the conference as listeners, without giving a presentation.
The topics of the conference include but are not limited to the following suggestions:
1. Loneliness and Society loneliness and social relationships (in families, marriages, partnerships, workplaces, etc.) loneliness and war loneliness and illness loneliness and self-isolation, social distancing loneliness among children loneliness among seniors the lonely crowd loneliness in urban spaces loneliness as an epidemic loneliness and pandemic loneliness and social exclusion (social class, racism, gender factors, educational status) loneliness and social media (Facebook, Instagram, etc.)
2. Loneliness and Culture
loneliness in different parts of the world loneliness and religions loneliness and initiation rituals lonely communities abandoned nations expelled minorities loneliness and digital cultures / virtual communities the cultural taboo of solitude vs. hyper-individualism migrant loneliness and diaspora experiences
3. Individual experiences loneliness during self-isolation, quarantanne, loneliness as a state of mind loneliness and emotional isolation loneliness and depression loneliness and shame creative loneliness loneliness as a rest situational loneliness existential loneliness loneliness, aloneness, and solitude the commercialization of loneliness (the "rent-a-friend" industry, monetized companion apps, dating algorithms, and AI relationships) synthetic companionship & AI (digital intimacy, dating algorithms, and robotic care)
4. Literature and Arts
loneliness in literature, film, theatre and visual arts lonely artists aesthetics, spaces, and narratives of isolation (e.g., in pop culture, life-writing, and architecture)
Please submit abstracts (no longer than 300 words) of your proposed 20-minute presentations, together with a short biographical note, by 18 September 2026 to: lonelinessconference@gmail.com
Important dates
- Paper submission
- Conference beginsNext
Topics of interest
Before you submit
- Read the full call for papers — page limits, template (IEEE, ACM, LNCS …) and whether review is double-blind.
- Deadlines are usually 23:59 Anywhere on Earth (AoE) — convert to Bangladesh time (UTC+6) and aim to submit a day early.
- At least one author normally has to register and present; budget for the fee and, for in-person events, a visa appointment well before the conference.
- Look for student travel grants and volunteer programmes — most large conferences run both, with deadlines soon after notification.