Despite being more digitally connected than ever before, one third of Australians still feel lonely. And contrary to some stereotypes, the loneliest demographics skewed younger, with those aged 18 to 24, and 45 to 54, reporting feeling most disconnected.
“Some of these age groups are not necessarily people who are socially isolated; they are very much well embedded within our communities and society”, says Dr Michelle Lim, Ending Loneliness Together.
Stigma and shame are preventing us from talking about feeling lonely. In turn, this reduces opportunities for people feeling lonely to find connection and seek and receive the support they need. It also places Australians at a greater risk of persistent loneliness.
At Open Support we’re playing our part to tackle loneliness head-on, our Community Connections program aims to support people to build their capacity to engage in social connections that are meaningful to them. Our team of Case Managers and Community Connectors take the time to understand the individuals’ needs, work with them to increase their confidence and self-worth and support them to develop and maintain independent connections within their community.
“Loneliness is an innate human signal for us to connect, for us to reach out to our community … so that we can thrive and flourish,” says Dr Lim.
If you or someone you know is feeling lonely or isolated, contact Open Support’s Community Connections Team for a chat about our program. Open Support Domestic & Family Violence Corporate Education | Open Support.