Authors: Ending Loneliness Together & Lim et al.
Overview
This paper brings together the latest research and data on the prevalence of loneliness. It identifies communities that are especially vulnerable to loneliness, and outlines the policy, practice and process pathways that can be modified and adapted to combat loneliness effectively. The impact of loneliness is broad and deep; it cuts across all sectors of our society. Consequently, this paper throws the spotlight of attention on a subset of priority areas in which loneliness is a challenge.
Loneliness is a complex social, health and economic issue that requires immediate and significant attention. Loneliness was already a serious problem in Australian communities before the COVID-19 pandemic began, with some describing it as one of the most pressing public health issues of our time. The COVID-19 crisis has brought loneliness to the fore and serves as a powerful reminder of just how important meaningful social relationships are.
One in two Australians reported feeling lonelier since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The road to recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic will be long and arduous – with significant costs to the Australian economy. There is a need for strong positive leadership across Local, State, and Federal governments in order to make a real impact on combatting this major public health issue facing Australians. We therefore advocate for a National Loneliness Response Strategy to End Loneliness Together.
This was a short summary of the original article
which can be downloaded in full as a PDF below
