The Little Blue Book

THE LONELINESS EPIDEMIC Despite all the hours we spend on our electronic devices and social- media platforms designed to connect us, loneliness has become a feature of modern living. One-in-five Americans report feeling lonely or socially isolated, and more than one-in-four (27%) of American households are one-person households, representing an estimated 32million people, or 10% of the US population, living alone (as reported by the U.S. Census Bureau). 1 In the UK, 5% of adults report feeling lonely “often” or “always”, while 16% feel lonely sometimes and 24% (one-in-four) report occasional loneliness. Among people with disability, 67% have felt lonely in the past year. 2 Under the former May Government of Britain, in recognition of the scale and negative health effects of loneliness, the UK became the first country ever to appoint a Minister of Loneliness. So, the point here, if you’re feeling lonely and adrift, is that you’re not alone in that feeling. Unfortunately, the ‘loneliness epidemic’ is likely to get much worse during this lockdown response to the spread of the coronavirus. A recent study conducted by the University of Cambridge (in partnership with other leading universities), found that the coronavirus response is producing higher rates of loneliness and worsening mental health outcomes. (The most affected group being young people aged 18 to 24. Of this group, 44% reported experiencing loneliness.) 3 Australian statistics on loneliness conformwith comparable economies (like the U.S. and UK), with one-in-four reporting feelings of loneliness, and an alarming 51% reporting that they feel lonely at least one day a week. Additionally, one-in-ten (9.5%) feel that they lack social support. 4 In line with USA data, the 2016 Australian Census showed that 24.4% of Australian households are lone person households and 15.8% are single parent families. Loneliness is now an unwelcome feature of modern life in many developed economies, and strongly linked to psychological ill-health. Young people are at particular risk of mental ill-health due to loneliness. Around one-in-eight report a “very high intensity of loneliness”, having an average wellbeing “well below the normal range”. 5 Right now, around one-in-four young people aged 12-25 in Australia will experience mental illness and about 75% of mental health problems commence before 25 years of age. 6 The longer the pandemic, and the longer its effects on community, workplaces and connection, the greater the risk of chronic loneliness and the more challenging the mental health outcomes. SOCIAL ISOLATION AND LONELINESS 28 Towards Resilience - The Power of Positivity