Connections vital to wellbeing

At some point in the past four weeks, more than 650,000 New Zealanders felt lonely. That statistic may seem high, but for 13.6 per cent of the New Zealand population, it was very real. It’s far worse, though, for the 243,000 Kiwis who feel lonely all or most of the time.

But while many will think this is due to an ageing population, it’s not confined to the elderly or those living alone – those aged 15-24 are the loneliest.

The numbers come from the General Social Survey done by Statistics NZ in 2016, and show that, despite an explosion in social networks like Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, people are actually less connected than they were even four years ago. The numbers reporting feeling lonely most or all of the time rose 70 per cent between 2014 and 2106.

As technology advances, the opportunities to connect with people in our communities become fewer.

The local branch of the bank where the teller knew your name has closed, many business dealings can now be completed online, the postie only comes three times a week, and the supermarket is fast becoming self-service. For some, those were the only human interactions they had in their day.

Others may have found themselves cut off from social occasions by a change in circumstances. Perhaps they recently became a parent, moved to a new town, or suffered an injury or disability which prevents mobility. They may be a new migrant, or are struggling financially and feel they can’t contribute.

Today, Stuff is launching a series of stories around social isolation – who it affects, what the consequences on wellbeing are, and how we can combat it. We’ll be talking with people who are taking positive steps to reduce loneliness, both those who have experienced it and those helping people who would usually be isolated in the community.

But as individuals, we need to do our bit, too. We need to be mindful of the people in our communities who are socially isolated, and find ways to help them reconnect. It’s easy to say ‘‘join a club’’, but for some it is that first step that is the hardest to take. Social networks such as Neighbourly can help people connect with others living nearby, and it could be as easy as organising a catchup at a local cafe, or a walk around a nearby park.

As humans, we are social creatures. While occasionally, we may enjoy our own company, we’re not designed to be alone. Loneliness can affect anyone at any age, and when it lingers it can develop into social isolation.

Discussions around mental health and depression are well and truly out in the open, but loneliness is barely mentioned and is a contributing factor. In fact, being lonely in one year predicts depressive symptoms in the following year more reliably than other depressive symptoms.

If you improve the social connections within your community, you improve its general wellbeing and mental health.