Resources on Loneliness and Social Prescription

In preparation for this session REDWatch spoke to a number of people with experience in Loneliness and Social Prescription. Below, based on our preparation for this meeting and the presentation are some suggestions for resources people can access if they need specialized help or need to find activities.

What is the problem? A survey of 300 Waterloo public housing tenants showed high levels of loneliness - 28% of respondents reported feeling lonely often, and 36% felt lonely some of the time. Almost one in three Australians feel lonely. One in six Australians are experiencing severe loneliness (State of the Nation Report – Social Connection in Australia 2023).  

Loneliness is not confined to older people. In fact, recent research confirms that Australians aged 15 to 24 reported being the loneliest cohort in the country. Social isolation and loneliness can have serious impacts on our mental and physical health. (2023 annual Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey)

Social isolation and loneliness are often used interchangeably but they are different.

Social isolation refers to being separate from others and lacking social contact. Loneliness, on the other hand, is a more subjective experience. People who are lonely feel cut off from others, even if they have regular physical, and social contact. A person can be surrounded by people and still feel lonely.

The impact of social isolation and loneliness is well evidenced, and our City of Sydney is experiencing an epidemic. Whilst some people are more at risk than others, loneliness does not discriminate.

In health terms loneliness has been found to be as bad as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and joining a group halves your risk of dying in the following year by 50%.

What can we do about the problem? Raising awareness about the issue is the first step. De-stigmatizing loneliness will allow people to reach out for support. Helping people to connect to activities of interest or to social activities is one way of tackling some people’s isolation and improving people’s wellbeing and also builds community. It is something we can all be part of when we ask “are you OK”.

Below we provide some suggestions for resources people can access if they need specialized help or need to find activities.

Ending Loneliness Together - www.endingloneliness.com.au – This is a national network of organisations who have come together to address the growing problem of loneliness in people living in Australia. The website is their main resource and it includes resources and tip sheets on loneliness based on research It is a good starting point for understanding what loneliness is and is not.

Live Up – www.liveup.org.au – Funded by the Australian Government this site aims to helping people stay independent through healthy ageing. There are lists of exercise classes, product suggestions, and local groups so you can age your way. Take the free, confidential quiz to see your suggestions.

Australian Social Prescribing Institute of Research and Education (ASPIRE) - www.creatingopportunitiestogether.com.au – This website contains information about how social prescribing interacts with the social determinants of health and what the evidence basis is for social prescription. Loneliness is just one of the reasons why a social prescription might be beneficial. In some places like the UK, Victoria and some parts of NSW (including in Waterloo) your local GP or a service can also propose a “social prescription” rather than, or in addition to, a medical prescription. From the medical side social prescriptions are important as they deal with the social determinants of health. Often a doctor view demands greater respect and generates compliance for something that someone could attend directly themselves.

Head to Health - www.headtohealth.gov.au – Is a federal service that aims to make it easier to access wellbeing and mental health services. It can help you find resources for maintaining your wellbeing as well as helping you find an appropriate service. It also runs a free call number for mental health advice and guidance which is 1800595212.You enter your post code and the call is directed to the service responsible for your local area where they can talk to you and make an assessment and recommend next steps.

Public Health Network (PHN) funded Services – The Central and Eastern Sydney PHN is a Federal funded regional body with the key objectives of increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of medical services for individuals, particularly those at risk of poor health outcomes. CESPHN funds a number of programs which may or may not requires a GP referral for mental health services see – www.cesphn.org.au/general-practice/help-my-patients-with/mental-health/mental-health-services-funded-by-cesphn . Two of these programs for example are:

• Primary and Community Care Services (PCCS) – www.pccs.org.au – such as Social Rx where GPs can make social prescriptions and where there are social activities you can join. Your Coach Plus is another program and no referral is needed. PCCS is also Head to Health regional provider.
• Anglicare – www.anglicare.org.au - is funded for the Older Persons' Wellbeing Network (OPWN) where no referral is needed for a program that offers support for older persons in the CESPHN region on a number of topics including for four free sessions of 1:1 counselling.

Get Healthy Service – www.gethealthynsw.com.au/ - This is a NSW service that offers free phone and online health coaching to help you make lifestyle changes to improve your health. It is delivered by Diabetes Australia for NSW Health, the service is available to people over 16 years of age living in NSW. When you join, you’ll receive 6 or more confidential coaching calls with a university qualified health coach. Part of being healthy is being active and doing this with others can help address loneliness.

Sydney Local Health District (SLHD) – In addition to running health services in its hospitals, SLHD also runs Mental Health in the Community services for people across the communities demographics such as such as the Older People’s Mental Health (OPMH) Services, Youth and Adult Community Health Services and specialist areas like Hoarding and Squalor. If you have problems connecting to a service contact Shane Brown email SLHD-integratedcareteam@health.nsw.gov.au. In Waterloo Shane helps people navigate the health system. Jane Massa SLHD’s Coordinator of Suicide and Depression Prevention, Older People at Redfern Health Centre provided this informative presentation to REDWatch on Loneliness Social Prescribing and Wellbeing.

Involvement in Community activities – a recent survey of Waterloo tenants found that about half reported being involved in various community activities, including attending a community meeting or events, participating in an organised group (such as a social group, sports team, church group, community group) or taking an active role in providing or supporting a community service or program or volunteering for an organisation. So think about what you would like to do and then look around for a group that shares that interest and ask how you can be involved.

Volunteering – if you would like to volunteer, there are many local organisations and volunteer groups in the area – each year Counterpoint Community Services holds Volunteer Awards and a lunch to recognise all the volunteers that make the area what it is. You can get some ideas of some of the places people volunteer in the Redwater Montage – Volunteers … The heart of our community booklet. So talk to your local agency about your interest and hopefully they can point you in the right direction. If you want to know more about volunteering or are having difficulty matching your interest or skills with a place that would like them visit the Centre for Volunteering who provide training for volunteers and have a data base of people looking for volunteers.

NGO Community Centres and programs – Community Centres like Counterpoint’s The Factory or Multicultural Neighbourhood Centre arrange many activities that provide opportunities for people to find activities that they might be interested in, they also host activities from other community groups. Such services also often have case workers or councillors who can help point people to services or activities that might assist them.

City of Sydney Council – Council runs and promotes lots of activities that you can join through the City of Sydney What’s On: Event Guide. It also runs community and activity centers and programs so finding out what your nearest Council Community Centre offers can be a good starting point for meeting people and doing things you want to do. Council has a Community Service Worker, Jessica Mayr that organizes activities for older people in the city of Sydney Council area.

Ending Loneliness in the City Forum - Last year Greens Councillor Sylvie Ellsmore held a community forum on Ending Loneliness in the City with panel members from Wayside Chapel, Inner Sydney Voice, and Council for the Ageing, Sydney Alliance, Millers Point Community Centre part of 4CCCs and a social isolation researcher. A report from that forum can be found in the Ending Loneliness in the City Community Forum Summary Report.

NSW Parliament Inquiry - The standing Committee on Social Issues is currently calling for submissions until 1 November on “Prevalence, causes and impacts of loneliness in New South Wales”. You can make a submission on the also complete an online online questionnaire 

These are some of the services that REDWatch is aware of from organizing our session on Loneliness.

Geoff Turnbull REDWatch Spokesperson 31 October 2024