Dougal Sutherland: Loneliness and social isolation

Saturday Morning with Jack Tame

Kiwis seem to be getting lonelier.

Recent research from Age Concern revealed the extent of the loneliness and social isolation felt amongst older New Zealanders – with 59% of respondents feeling lonely or isolated recently, and a third feeling like this most of the time.

Main points:

• It’s rated as having a similar impact on our health as smoking and obesity
• Multiple causes for loneliness including the impact of pandemic, the ageing population, rising cost of living, increasing health concerns and unaffordability, and the trend for families to move overseas
• In the UK and Japan, they have established ministers for loneliness within the government to focus on this area – in NSW they launched a parliamentary inquiry into loneliness earlier in the year

What can help?

• Addressing underlying causes
• Community-based initiatives such as groups, volunteer programmes,
• Interestingly social media doesn’t help – 75% of those with social media access reported loneliness and were more likely to report than those without social media, which emphasises the importance of face-to-face connection

What can we do?

• Make it your Christmas gift to someone —look around in your family and neighbourhood— loneliness is silent so unlikely people will reach out for help, you need to reach in. If you can’t do it in person (e.g., because living in another part of the country) can you get someone else to connect with your older relatives while you do the same in your neighbourhood?
• Try and make it a long-term connection rather than a one-off

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