Latest news with #EndingLonelinessTogether
7NEWS
17 hours ago
- Health
- 7NEWS
Deep dive into loneliness epidemic shows the deadly experience is caused by more than just social isolation
A common but stigmatised experience is having a devastating impact on Australians' bodies. Loneliness is different to being alone — it has to do with our ability to connect — and two in five young Australians are struggling with it daily, according to a new report lifting the lid on loneliness. 'It's experienced in the brain as a physiological stressor, and that impacts our body and our mind,' study author, CEO and scientific chair of Ending Loneliness Together associate professor Michelle Lim told 'It therefore has massive health implications, if we do not actually address loneliness.' The Ending Loneliness Together report published this week for Loneliness Awareness Week, found that one in seven young people have felt 'persistently lonely' over a span of at least two years. Chronic disease, such as heart disease and stroke, diabetes, and dementia have all been linked to loneliness and social isolation, which also negatively impacts behaviour, sleep and life expectancy, according to the Medical Journal of Australia. Loneliness is also closely linked with depression and suicide, and the World Health Organisation estimates loneliness led to 871,000 deaths globally each year from 2014–2019. For Taylor Bradley, the loneliness spurred on by the death of his mother almost took him to that point of no return. 'Even when I was out with friends, it was hard for me to feel that connection,' the 33-year-old from Bondi told A closer look at Bradley's experience revealed to him that his loneliness was stemming from within — he was struggling to accept who he truly was, and was heavily 'masking' as a result. It meant that the connections he was making 'didn't feel real', he said. Lim said that friends, family and community are not enough to bypass loneliness as our relationships need to offer genuine connection. 'All of us have very different and diverse social needs, and live in environments where not everything that we like is offered within our community,' Lim said. Stigma and societal norms For Bradley, getting better acquainted with himself was a major step in his journey out of loneliness — he took up yoga and meditation to disconnect from racing thoughts, and from there was able to address the 'internal wounds' affecting his ability to connect. He later trained as a yoga teacher and co-founded the Connection Hub, a group for men to come together in a safe space that offers not just a refuge from social isolation, but an opportunity to show up authentically and explore their emotional blocks and needs. Half of the Australians surveyed for the loneliness report said they actively conceal their loneliness, sometimes even from themselves. 'They are so ashamed of loneliness' and believe the experience makes them 'a failure' or 'a loser', Lim said. Bradley said that 'the fear of being judged' is also behind much of the loneliness experienced by the men in his wellness group. Big data shows that while men and women typically experience similar levels of loneliness, they have different ways of coping, Lim said. 'Especially when you account for masculinity norms that are rife in our community, it's just less acceptable for men to be vulnerable,' she said. 'We're treating loneliness as a personal matter, when it's a systemic issue as well.' The idea that loneliness is permanent personality trait comes from outdates research from the 80s and 90s, she said. Isolated in the grind The report into loneliness cites the cost of living, and the increasing time demands of necessary employment, as real barriers to meaningful connection. 'All of these things add up, and it changes the way we interact with people,' Lim said. Not having enough time to meet like-minded people, or do the inner work necessary to understanding their authentic social needs, are common issues faced by the Connection Hub members, Bradley said. 'They're so busy at work, trying to get the next promotion at work, or they're really into their training, everyone's got their things ... it's almost like their inner world takes a step back, and there's no time to work on themselves or even process what might be going on for them,' he said. 'I'll do breathwork with the guys to help them get out of their mind and into their bodies, and that's when they often start to feel a little bit more space around them, and a little bit more comfortable,' he said. Now that we exist in the digital age, Lim said it is also important that we don't lose our 'social hygiene'. 'It's needed to build intimate relationships,' she said. 'You do need to respond when someone reaches out to you. If you don't, and you delay it for a certain time, it actually pulls people apart. Reciprocity if very important for social hygiene. It's easily to not have these principles with tech.' Calls for a national strategy Loneliness is a problem all over the world, with one in seven people feeling lonely globally — but the Australian national average is much higher than that, and it is prompting calls for a targeted national strategy. 'It needs to be a cross-sector approach,' Lim said. 'This is not just a health issue, or a social issues, or an economic issue — it's everything. 'What we know is that many societal problems are actually cross-sector issues, but what we're not very good at is working across sectors. 'So it also needs to be very much underpinned by the evidence, because this is an issue rife with misconceptions.' She urged leaders not to trivialise loneliness, noting that major problems such as mental health and poverty are usually always either preceded by, or a consequence of, loneliness. 'It is very much both a root cause, and a consequence, problem,' she said. 'The community is very much ready to act ... but, we really need to all get co-ordinated.' If you need help in a crisis, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
SBS Australia
5 days ago
- Health
- SBS Australia
Worsening youth loneliness in Australia raises concern among experts
One in every seven young people in Australia experiences persistent loneliness, according to the group Ending Loneliness Together. Young people who are often lonely are more than seven times more likely to suffer from severe psychological distress. In recent years, both Britain and Japan have appointed dedicated government ministries to address this growing issue. LISTEN TO SBS Filipino 07:14 Filipino If you or someone you know needs support, call Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636 or call Lifeline on 13 11 14. Embrace Multicultural Mental Health supports people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. 📢 Where to Catch SBS Filipino
SBS Australia
6 days ago
- Health
- SBS Australia
"Call for Connection": Concerns about a loneliness crisis in Australia
Younger generations are often considered the most socially connected - especially when it comes to digital communication. But a new report reveals more and more young Australians are feeling lonely often and persistently. Associate Professor Michelle Lim is the Chief Executive and Scientific Chair of Ending Loneliness Together, the organisation behind the report. She says the research uncovers a youth loneliness crisis, with on in seven young people in Australia now experiencing persistent loneliness. Futhermore, overall, 43 percent of people aged 15 to 25 are experiencing loneliness. She's told SBS Kurdish while feeling lonely is a natural part of our innate human drive to connect with others, it's the high levels of persistent loneliness that are particularly troubling. "What worries me, though, is the one in seven who experienced more persistent loneliness and when I say persistent, I mean we asked them about levels of loneliness in one year and then came back to them the next year, yes, we're reporting loneliness, which actually says to me that once they become lonely they stay lonely." The release of the report, titled 'A Call for Connection,' coincides with Loneliness Awareness Week- which runs from the 4th to the 10th of August. The research, which draws on data from recent surveys of Household Income and Labor Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) and interviews with young people, shows young people who report persistent loneliness are more than seven times more likely to experience high or very high psychological distress, compared to those who aren't lonely. Ms Lim says the study finds certain environmental and social factors exacerbate a persons experience of loneliness. "We looked at who was experiencing and staying lonely, we found that certain things made things worse. Like if you had a poor physical health status, a poor mental health status, if you're unemployed, if you have financial strain, all those things are making people not just lonely, but staying lonely." Cathy Kezelman is President of the Blue Knot Foundation. It's an organisation that helps adult survivors of childhood trauma. She says it's important to recognise that some groups are especially vulnerable to persistent loneliness- including those who have experienced complex trauma, which can be connected to the experience of violence, abuse, neglect or exploitation. She says these experiences can intensify a person's withdrawal and isolation from community. "I think what happens when loneliness is profound is that it can obviously really impact our mental health. Obviously we can go into a spiral just with our own thoughts and ruminate and that can be very, very unhealthy. And obviously the more you withdraw, the less other input you're getting. And of course, mental health can impact physical health." The theme of this year's Loneliness Awareness Week is 'Moments Matter', highlighting the importance of building connections at home, work, school, online and in the community. Ms Lim says this theme underscores Ending Loneliness Together's calls for more accessible inclusive community spaces, and free or low-cost opportunities to help young people nurture relationships. "We're living in an environment that's actually keeping us lonely. So what we really need to do is not just always put the onus on the individual themselves, but really those broader community, economic, and social forces that are really at play. What we're doing is advocating for systemic change. So that we are living in an environment where it helps us develop healthy social relationships easily, and maintaining those relationships." The call for more investment in spaces that foster connection and belonging is one echoed in a Loneliness Inquiry report tabled in the New South Wales parliament earlier this week. After a year-long investigation into the prevalence, causes and impacts of loneliness in New South Wales, the Standing Committee on Social Issues has made 20 recommendations to tackle the growing loneliness epidemic. Lauren Stracey, Chief Executive of Youth Action New South Wales, says the report's recommendation for more dedicated youth hubs stands out as critical. "What we're hearing from young people is that they actually need to have their own safe spaces to be able to feel like they're connected and belonging in our community more broadly. And one of the recommendations was to invest in youth hubs. It can be your traditional sort of space, but it can also be made up from spaces that are just in your local environment. So it could be an unused community centre, a room somewhere. But the key thing is that it's about creating places for young people where they can spend time with their peers." She says investing in safe and inclusive youth spaces, designed with the input and guidance of young people, is especially important given the national ban on social media for users under the age of 16 set to come into effect in December. "The idea of having youth hubs and new spaces, it's really about making sure that if we're taking away one way of being connected, that we are replacing it with an alternative. We can't just take away and remove the digital spaces without building real world ones. And so I think that one of the things that we are seeing is that youth hubs are really an antidote to this and that they can be the bridge from loneliness to belonging for our young people." She says tackling the youth loneliness crisis needs to start with building opportunities for young people to find belonging. "The thing with belonging is this is such a fundamental human need and young people need that just as much as anyone else. And so having a place where young people are able to go and be with their peers and also have role models around them, youth workers are incredible role models. Those are the kinds of things that really kind of ground us and help us develop into thriving adults." And loneliness isn't just an issue limited to Australia. Both Britain and Japan have, in recent years, even dedicated a federal ministry to dealing with the problem. If you or someone you know needs support, call Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636 or call Lifeline on 13 11 14. Embrace Multicultural Mental Health supports people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
West Australian
02-08-2025
- Health
- West Australian
Younger Australia is facing a loneliness 'epidemic'
A silent crisis is taking root among young Australians, with nearly half those aged 15 to 25 reporting they regularly feel lonely. One in seven experience persistent loneliness that lasts more than two years. The findings, from a new national report by Ending Loneliness Together, have prompted warnings loneliness is becoming endemic, exacerbated by digital isolation, rising living costs and a lack of community spaces to connect face-to-face. "There's a lot of misconceptions that just because young people are so much embedded within the structures of society that they shouldn't feel lonely," says Michelle Lim, scientific chair of Ending Loneliness Together and co-lead author of the A Call for Connection report. "This is a huge misconception because the way we define loneliness is very much a subjective feeling of the stress that comes up to you when you feel your relationships do not meet your current social needs." Naoka Cheah was just settling into student life at the University of Melbourne aged 19 when COVID-19 hit, forcing her to return to Malaysia and complete much of her degree remotely. "I went back thinking it's probably just going to be a few months at most ... not a huge impact. But I was stuck back in Malaysia for more than a year," she says. "It was a very unreal experience, being apart from your other students, being apart from friends … and also trying to ace those exams and not fail. I think that's something we were all struggling with." Now 25 and working as a data analyst in Melbourne, Ms Cheah reflects on how her forced isolation also came with unexpected benefits. "Initially it is a very scary experience but it pushes you to kind of face yourself," she says. "There's a stigma of loneliness but it's actually very important to then also have that time by yourself … to figure out what you actually love, what you actually hate." Like many young professionals in a post-COVID world, Ms Cheah now works mostly from home and makes a conscious effort to stay socially connected. "I'm very lucky to have a team that's very much inclusive and sociable but I will assume not everyone is lucky enough to have that environment," she says. "It can be very difficult to reach out. That first obstacle could be the hardest thing for people to overcome." Associate Professor Lim agrees that being alone is not the same as being lonely. "By definition, young people are not often socially isolated ... they're not actually physically alone ... but they are feeling very lonely," she says. Digital technology, while offering new ways to connect, is also part of the problem. "We haven't really introduced good digital literacy, not just for our children but even for us as parents. As parents we model behaviours and with the increases of digital communication, we're not doing a great job ourselves. "We know we have to be able to get young people to have healthy social relationships in that digital world." She adds that for some young Australians - particularly those from the LGBTQI community or in regional areas- digital spaces can be essential. "They say 'I need that digital community because I don't have people around me that are like me'. So there is a place for it but we haven't quite taught young people how to navigate this very tricky social media world and digital world and how to use it for their benefit." Darcy Gilmour, a 25-year-old graduate from Canberra, understands this complexity all too well. Hospitalised at age 10 for two years due to rare blood disorders, he says the loneliness he experienced during and after was profound. "That obviously created a big feeling of isolation," he says. "It was pretty tough. "When I went to high school, I was just trying to reintegrate ... it was a big adjustment and I also experienced a lot of loneliness there. It was like being thrown in the deep end." Despite being constantly surrounded by nurses, classmates and family, he still felt isolated. "I'd never spend any time actually alone but still had that incredible feeling of loneliness," he explains. Mr Gilmour says those experiences have given him a deeper understanding of what true connection means. "If I notice someone else is struggling to make friends, that's also when I can tend to reach out a bit more because I'm able to recognise that pretty easily," he says. His advice is to be proactive - even when it's hard. "I've had a lot of times where you're leading up to going to hang out with your friends and you're, like: 'oh, I don't know if I'll enjoy this. I'd rather just stay at home and just relax a bit alone and not stress'," he says. "But then you go out and you actually have a really good time." Loneliness isn't just an emotional issue, according to Prof Lim. It has measurable impacts on mental and physical health, especially for those under financial strain or from lower socio-economic backgrounds. "We are paying costs in other ways," she says. "We are very good at interventions. We're very good at dealing with problems. We're very good at throwing money at mental health and suicide. "But we're not very good at preventing these things." What's needed, Prof Lim says, is systemic change: from digital education in schools to more inclusive public spaces, and support that doesn't fall entirely on individuals or parents. "This should be a policy that we introduce on that systems level, where we're teaching that very actively in school, and what healthy social interaction can look like," she says. "We need something more than just relying on parents." While large-scale solutions are being debated, Prof Lim believes even small moments of connection can make a difference. "A quick hello, a chance encounter, an act of kindness, a compliment, a shared experience or interest, a new hobby or even a funny story - these small but meaningful interactions matter," she says. "They spark conversation and help us feel seen and valued."
Perth Now
02-08-2025
- Health
- Perth Now
Younger Australia is facing a loneliness 'epidemic'
A silent crisis is taking root among young Australians, with nearly half those aged 15 to 25 reporting they regularly feel lonely. One in seven experience persistent loneliness that lasts more than two years. The findings, from a new national report by Ending Loneliness Together, have prompted warnings loneliness is becoming endemic, exacerbated by digital isolation, rising living costs and a lack of community spaces to connect face-to-face. "There's a lot of misconceptions that just because young people are so much embedded within the structures of society that they shouldn't feel lonely," says Michelle Lim, scientific chair of Ending Loneliness Together and co-lead author of the A Call for Connection report. "This is a huge misconception because the way we define loneliness is very much a subjective feeling of the stress that comes up to you when you feel your relationships do not meet your current social needs." Naoka Cheah was just settling into student life at the University of Melbourne aged 19 when COVID-19 hit, forcing her to return to Malaysia and complete much of her degree remotely. "I went back thinking it's probably just going to be a few months at most ... not a huge impact. But I was stuck back in Malaysia for more than a year," she says. "It was a very unreal experience, being apart from your other students, being apart from friends … and also trying to ace those exams and not fail. I think that's something we were all struggling with." Now 25 and working as a data analyst in Melbourne, Ms Cheah reflects on how her forced isolation also came with unexpected benefits. "Initially it is a very scary experience but it pushes you to kind of face yourself," she says. "There's a stigma of loneliness but it's actually very important to then also have that time by yourself … to figure out what you actually love, what you actually hate." Like many young professionals in a post-COVID world, Ms Cheah now works mostly from home and makes a conscious effort to stay socially connected. "I'm very lucky to have a team that's very much inclusive and sociable but I will assume not everyone is lucky enough to have that environment," she says. "It can be very difficult to reach out. That first obstacle could be the hardest thing for people to overcome." Associate Professor Lim agrees that being alone is not the same as being lonely. "By definition, young people are not often socially isolated ... they're not actually physically alone ... but they are feeling very lonely," she says. Digital technology, while offering new ways to connect, is also part of the problem. "We haven't really introduced good digital literacy, not just for our children but even for us as parents. As parents we model behaviours and with the increases of digital communication, we're not doing a great job ourselves. "We know we have to be able to get young people to have healthy social relationships in that digital world." She adds that for some young Australians - particularly those from the LGBTQI community or in regional areas- digital spaces can be essential. "They say 'I need that digital community because I don't have people around me that are like me'. So there is a place for it but we haven't quite taught young people how to navigate this very tricky social media world and digital world and how to use it for their benefit." Darcy Gilmour, a 25-year-old graduate from Canberra, understands this complexity all too well. Hospitalised at age 10 for two years due to rare blood disorders, he says the loneliness he experienced during and after was profound. "That obviously created a big feeling of isolation," he says. "It was pretty tough. "When I went to high school, I was just trying to reintegrate ... it was a big adjustment and I also experienced a lot of loneliness there. It was like being thrown in the deep end." Despite being constantly surrounded by nurses, classmates and family, he still felt isolated. "I'd never spend any time actually alone but still had that incredible feeling of loneliness," he explains. Mr Gilmour says those experiences have given him a deeper understanding of what true connection means. "If I notice someone else is struggling to make friends, that's also when I can tend to reach out a bit more because I'm able to recognise that pretty easily," he says. His advice is to be proactive - even when it's hard. "I've had a lot of times where you're leading up to going to hang out with your friends and you're, like: 'oh, I don't know if I'll enjoy this. I'd rather just stay at home and just relax a bit alone and not stress'," he says. "But then you go out and you actually have a really good time." Loneliness isn't just an emotional issue, according to Prof Lim. It has measurable impacts on mental and physical health, especially for those under financial strain or from lower socio-economic backgrounds. "We are paying costs in other ways," she says. "We are very good at interventions. We're very good at dealing with problems. We're very good at throwing money at mental health and suicide. "But we're not very good at preventing these things." What's needed, Prof Lim says, is systemic change: from digital education in schools to more inclusive public spaces, and support that doesn't fall entirely on individuals or parents. "This should be a policy that we introduce on that systems level, where we're teaching that very actively in school, and what healthy social interaction can look like," she says. "We need something more than just relying on parents." While large-scale solutions are being debated, Prof Lim believes even small moments of connection can make a difference. "A quick hello, a chance encounter, an act of kindness, a compliment, a shared experience or interest, a new hobby or even a funny story - these small but meaningful interactions matter," she says. "They spark conversation and help us feel seen and valued."
