About
Loneliness Awareness Week Australia
Loneliness is a critical issue and is recognised as a public health priority for many countries around the world. However, despite being highly prevalent, loneliness isn’t widely understood or spoken about in Australia.
Loneliness Awareness Week (held annually in the first week of August) shines a spotlight on the shared experience of loneliness and calls on all Australians, including individuals, communities, workplaces, education, and government, to take action to reduce loneliness and create more opportunities for meaningful social connection.
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Why we feel lonely
Loneliness is a shared human experience that many Australians don’t feel comfortable talking about.
A common question we get asked at Ending Loneliness Together is ‘Why do I feel lonely?’ or ‘Why do people feel lonely?’. Given 1 in 3 Australians feel lonely at any given time, and 1 in 4 experience persistent loneliness, we believe the question should be ‘Why do we feel lonely?’ and ‘What can we do about it?’
Understanding the factors that trigger loneliness, and contribute to persistent loneliness, is key to reducing stigma and creating more opportunities for Australians to build meaningful social connections at any age.
Through our new research and conversations with everyday Australians, we know that that significant life changes and circumstances (such as financial hardship, relationship breakdown, loss and health conditions) can contribute to feelings of loneliness and social isolation. That’s why this Loneliness Awareness Week we’re sharing real stories to normalise conversations about why we feel lonely and encouraging all Australians to create a culture of connection at home, work, school and in the community.
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#EndingLonelinessTogether
#LonelinessAwarenessWeekAU
About the Research
The study aim was to understand the life circumstances that contribute to Australians experiencing persistent loneliness and social isolation.
The longitudinal study builds on the State of the Nation Report 2023, involving a nationally representative sample of 4026 Australians aged 18 years to 92 years old. We measured loneliness and social isolation over a four-month period to better understand who is experiencing persistent loneliness and social isolation. Following the completion of the survey, the data were weighted by age, gender, and region to reflect the latest Australian Bureau Statistics (ABS) population estimates.
The report ‘Why we feel lonely – A Deep Dive into how different life circumstances contribute to persistent loneliness and social isolation’ was developed by Associate Professor Michelle Lim (CEO, Ending Loneliness Together and Prevention Research Collaboration, Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney), Professor Ben Smith (Ending Loneliness Together and Prevention Research Collaboration, Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney), Dr Katherine Owen (Prevention Research Collaboration, Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney) and Professor Pam Qualter (University of Manchester).
About Ending Loneliness Together
Ending Loneliness Together was founded in 2016 by a collaboration of established leaders and experts in the field of loneliness, with a vision to create an Australia where everyone feels a sense of connection and belonging. Now a national organisation underpinned by lived experience, research, community, government and health expertise, Ending Loneliness Together generates ground-breaking research and translates evidence into practical resources and solutions to effectively address social isolation and loneliness.