Research

Recent research undertaken by CQUniversity, funded by Oak Tree Retirement Villages.

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Initial Research

These statistics were sourced during the research initially conducted.

“Based on Australian online surveys conducted in 2018 and 2019, it is estimated that at least one in four Australians aged 12 to 89 experience problematic levels of loneliness” Ending Loneliness in Australia White Paper 2020 p11

“The estimated prevalence of problematic levels of loneliness is around 5 million Australians at any given time” Ending Loneliness in Australia White Paper 2020 p11

“Loneliness is a common, often temporary experience, believed to be experienced by everyone at some point in life.” Signal, Trott, Canoy, Burke & Dravsnik. CQUniversity 2019. Critical Review of Loneliness and Promising Interventions . p4

“Loneliness is not equivalent to social isolation, which is an objective measure of the number of friends, family, or other social connections that an individual has and the frequency of contact with these social connections2,3. While social isolation and loneliness can both occur at the same time for an individual, they refer to different aspects of an individual’s social relationships.” Ending Loneliness in Australia White Paper 2020 p11

“for 30 percent of individuals, their experience of loneliness will be chronic and unremitting” Signal, Trott, Canoy, Burke & Dravsnik. CQUniversity 2019. Critical Review of Loneliness and Promising Interventions . p5

“Loneliness is shown to have significant consequences for physical and mental wellbeing” Signal, Trott, Canoy, Burke & Dravsnik. CQUniversity 2019. Critical Review of Loneliness and Promising Interventions . p4

“Prolonged loneliness has serious and potentially deadly consequences for psychological wellbeing.” Signal, Trott, Canoy, Burke & Dravsnik. CQUniversity 2019. Critical Review of Loneliness and Promising Interventions . p6

“The body of epidemiological research shows that loneliness is associated with a 26% greater risk of premature mortality and that living alone or being socially disconnected is associated with a similar increased risk of early death. This means that how you feel about your relationships is just as important as the number of social connections you have, or your living arrangements.” Ending Loneliness in Australia White Paper 2020 p15

While loneliness is often depicted as a problem for older adults, it is increasingly clear that this is only part of the picture. Children, adolescents, and young people are particularly vulnerable to feeling lonely.” Ending Loneliness in Australia White Paper 2020 p17

“Those who live alone, especially in urban areas, are more likely to feel lonely. (39) Similarly, those who have less frequent contact with neighbours or interact with fewer people in their communities are more likely to experience feelings of loneliness. (40) Ending Loneliness in Australia White Paper 2020 p15