by Jane Massa from Sydney Local Health District (SLHD). Jane is based at the Redfern Health Centre and is the Coordinator Suicide and Depression Prevention, Older People which is part of the Towards Zero Suicides Program.
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