New report underlines the need for Loneliness Awareness Week

The research, “Dynamic bayesian network analysis of the social determinants of mental health”, published in the journal PNAS Nexus, found that combating loneliness, along with achieving stronger financial security within the Australian population, could prevent one in three mental health conditions.

In releasing the report, lead author Dr Adam Skinner, a research fellow at the Brain and Mind Centre, said, “Our modelling emphasises the substantial contribution of people’s social and economic environments to their mental health. Policies designed to increase subjective financial wellbeing and promote social participation and local community engagement are likely to be critical for reducing the vast personal and societal costs of mental illness.”

Federal government data shows that mental ill-health costs the economy up to $220 billion per year.

Of course, beyond the financial cost is the human toll. The World Health Organization (WHO) released a global report at the end of June that found one in six people is affected by loneliness globally, and the toll is high. The WHO said loneliness is linked to an estimated 100 deaths per hour, worldwide – more than 871,000 deaths per year.

Strong social connections were essential for better health and a longer life, the WHO report said.

Social media and technology appear to connect us more than ever before, but not necessarily in a meaningful way, and not uniformly across the world. The WHO data shows that in lower- and middle-income countries, 17–21 per cent of people aged 13–29 years old reported feeling lonely, with the highest rates among teenagers. In low-income countries, about 14 per cent of people said they felt lonely, twice the rate of high-income countries.

“Loneliness and social isolation increase the risk of stroke, heart disease, diabetes, cognitive decline, and premature death. It also affects mental health, with people who are lonely twice as likely to get depressed. Loneliness can also lead to anxiety, and thoughts of self-harm or suicide,” the WHO report said.

“The impacts extend to learning and employment. Teenagers who felt lonely were 22 per cent more likely to get lower grades or qualifications. Adults who are lonely may find it harder to find or maintain employment and may earn less over time.

“At a community level, loneliness undermines social cohesion and costs billions in lost productivity and health care. Communities with strong social bonds tend to be safer, healthier and more resilient, including in response to disasters.”

In Australia, two in five young Australians report feeling lonely at any given time, and one in seven young Australians are “persistently lonely”, according to the report A Call for Connection, released to coincide with Loneliness Awareness Week.

Loneliness Awareness Week, which started on Monday and ends on Sunday, is an initiative of the national body Ending Loneliness Together, dedicated to shining a light on what needs to be done, at all levels of society, to assist lonely Australians.