Authors: Dr Michelle H Lim, Dr Robert Eres and Ms Claire Peck
Overview
Loneliness is defined as a subjective feeling of social isolation that is more related to the perceived quality rather than the quantity of relationships. Loneliness has been associated with poorer health outcomes and has been identified as an emerging public health problem. Loneliness affects everyone and young people are particularly vulnerable. However, the prevalence and impact of loneliness on young Australians is unclear.
The Young Australian Loneliness Survey commissioned by VicHealth is the first known study to examine loneliness severity in a large cohort of young Victorians aged 12 to 25 years. This report is in line with the new VicHealth Mental Wellbeing Strategy 2019–2023 on promoting social connections among young people.
This research was jointly conducted with the Social Health and Wellbeing Laboratory, at the Iverson Health Innovation Institute, at Swinburne University of Technology. The main study aim was to examine the prevalence of loneliness and social isolation in adolescents (12–17 years old) and young adults (18–25 years old) residing in Victoria, Australia. We also examine the influence of known factors on loneliness, and this includes mental health factors such as social anxiety and depression, emotion regulation, and affect.
This was a short summary of the original article
which can be downloaded in full as a PDF below
