Uniting Communities has conducted twice yearly surveys since the beginning of 2020 to gain an understanding of the prevalence of loneliness in SA and the groups of people most affected. Respondents were asked: 

• How often do you feel lonely? 

• How often do you feel that you lack companionship? 

• How often do you feel left out? 

• How often do you feel isolated from others?  

Highlights from the latest survey (November 2022): 

• 47% of people in SA reported they feel lonely ‘sometimes’ and 12% report they feel lonely ‘often’ 

• Females express feeling of loneliness, isolation, left out and lacking companionship ‘often’ at a higher incidence than males 

• Unlike previous survey results, those in regional areas are reporting lower levels of feeling lonely ‘often’ compared to those in metro areas 

• 18-24 year olds continue to report the highest rates of feeling lonely ‘often’ (25%) 

• 46% of 45-49 year olds report feeling lonely ‘sometimes’ and 21% report feeling lonely ‘often’  

• Similarly, for 50-54 year olds 38% report feeling lonely ‘sometimes’ while 19% report feeling lonely ‘often’  

Respondents on the lowest incomes report the highest levels of loneliness and lacking companionship.

The Tea Tree Gully Council and Volunteerability are hosting a free Community services expo,  showcasing 40 stallholders who provide low or no cost activities in the City of Tea Tree Gully. Come along and learn about programs and activities that will help people to feel connected, get active, build confidence, save money, get advice and more.  

If you work in the community services sector, this is an opportunity to familiarise yourself with the services and activities that could help your clients overcome loneliness.  

It’s free to host a stall at the event but stallholders must offer a low cost or free service, activity or program to be eligible.  

When: Friday 2 and Saturday 3 June 
Where: Golden Grove Recreation Centre 

Find out more. 

Developed in collaboration with people who have experienced loneliness, Infoxchange and service providers, the Ending Loneliness Directory provides a national database of organisations, groups and services offering opportunities for connection and support for people experiencing loneliness – all on a centralised and easy to navigate website.

The online directory currently has over 1000 organisations listed across the country, and users can search based on their role, preferred type of connection and location. You can add your program or activity helping to bring connection and combat loneliness. 

Gain knowledge and find resources on a variety of topics aimed at building the capacity of those on the frontline who work with individuals experiencing loneliness, as well as policy makers and employers who may need additional skills in managing loneliness in the workplace or community more broadly. 

Register now for their next online workshop on 20 April about Loneliness, Immigration, Asylum seekers and Refugees 

How important are social connections? How does loneliness impact a person’s mental and physical health? Are people looking for social connections in the right places? In partnership with Call to Mind, the Foundation for Social Connection has released a new podcast called Seeking Connection which answers these questions and more.  

Their new SOCIAL Framework – Work, Employment, and Labor (WEL) report explores evidence-based and promising interventions that foster social connectedness and address social isolation and loneliness for workers and leaders. They also ran a webinar based on the report findings.  

Sign up to receive their weekly summary of new international academic literature related to loneliness and find out more their work.  

This organisation shares research findings, develops and advocates for federal and state legislative and regulatory policy interventions, and leads public awareness events. 

Read their 2023-2024 policy priorities, Addressing the impact of Social Isolation and Loneliness which looks at policy interventions including public awareness, enhancing social services and support and leveraging innovative solutions that foster connection and social integration.  

Find out more and sign up for their monthly newsletters.  

A ‘community for professionals working on loneliness’, the Tackling Loneliness Hub shares resources and education about loneliness interventions.  

Members of the Hub can access a range of groups including ‘Academics & Researchers’ and ‘Young People & Loneliness.’ They also host online webinars, covering topics such as ‘Hosting informal pop-up events in neutral spaces’ and ‘The role of social prescribing in tackling loneliness.’ A range of resources are also available for non-members. Find out more.