Loneliness and social isolation in the capital will be put under a spotlight, as a parliamentary inquiry considers their social impact and cost in the ACT.
The Legislative Assembly's standing committee on education and community inclusion will consider the impact of loneliness and social isolation on all sectors of the Canberra community, after resolving last month to self refer the issues for an inquiry.
Nicole Lawder, a member of the committee and Liberal member for Brindabella, said the terms of reference would include the prevalence of loneliness and isolation, and the experience of loneliness and social isolation among seniors, young people, people with a disability, parents, carers, LGBTIQA+ people and recently arrived migrants.
The inquiry would also examine the personal and social costs associated with loneliness, and the impact on mental and physical health, she said.
"Governments around the world are increasingly recognising the impact that loneliness and social isolation have on people's mental and physical health," Ms Lawder told the Legislative Assembly when she announced the inquiry.
"The COVID lockdowns in 2020-2021 brought the effects of loneliness and social isolation into wider public consideration."
The committee chair, Labor's Michael Pettersson, said the committee would also consider how to best support individuals and organisations in addressing loneliness and improving social connectedness in the ACT.
Mr Pettersson pointed to the United Kingdom and Japan establishing ministers for loneliness as an indicator there was growing government consideration of the issue.
Submissions to the inquiry will close on Friday, February 23, 2024.
Australians are becoming more connected online but also increasingly alone, a landmark report into social connection across Australia that was drawn from more than 4000 responses found.
The most digitally connected - those aged 18 to 24 - were the most likely to be lonely, the report prepared by Ending Loneliness Together, a network of research organisations, said.
Michelle Lim, the report's author and Endling Loneliness Together chair, said loneliness should be a public health priority but there had been little action.
"Loneliness should not be seen as a sign of weakness or fault," she said in August when the report was released. "Feeling lonely is an innate signal for us to acknowledge and address our basic human need for connection."
Nearly one in four young adults reported always or often feeling lonely, compared with 15 per cent for the general population. The findings contradicted the misconception that loneliness primarily affected older people.
with AAP
