Survey Finds You Aren't Alone In Feeling Lonely: Most Australians Think Loneliness Is On The Rise

Trigger Warning: This article discusses suicide.

An Australian wide survey by Lifeline reveals that 82 per cent of people think that loneliness is increasing.

About 60 per cent of the 3,100 respondents said they "often felt lonely" while a total of 82.5 per cent of the entire sample size said they thought loneliness was increasing in society. Pete Shmigel, Lifeline's chief executive, said that many respondents were - likely - unwilling to outwardly identify as being lonely.

Worryingly, only 1.27 per cent thought loneliness was decreasing in society. Shmigel identifies this as a concern because loneliness and isolation are linked to higher rates of suicidal thoughts, and Australia's suicide rate has reached a 13 year high.

Speaking with The Guardian, Shmigel said, "We have more calls to Lifeline that talk about loneliness and social isolation and family relationship breakdown than we do of people talking about mental illness."

"Loneliness wears down your resilience to crisis. Say you lost your job, or you lost your boyfriend ... when you are lonely, or feel that you have no one to confide in, your resilience drops. As resilience drops, risk of suicide increases."

Is there a root cause for why the majority of us are feeling the bite of loneliness?

Last month a survey published by suicide prevention organisation RUOK found that Australians are spending an average of 46 hours a week looking at various screens, ranging from smartphones to televisions, outside of work hours.

Shmigel contends that our lives have become lonelier as they've become busier. Loneliness has become an unfortunate byproduct of technological convenience.

"Society values convenience so much that we actually seek to make things so convenient that they actively seek to avoid human relationships."

If you need support you can call: Lifeline 13 11 14, Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467, Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800, MensLine 1300 78 99 78.

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