Social connection
Category: Mental health and wellbeing
- Nearly 16% of Australian households cannot afford to participate in social activities such as family holidays, having a night out or having family or friends over for a meal.
- The proportion of people living alone is increasing markedly, with projections indicating that by the year 2021 between 2.4 and 3.4 million people could be living alone, an increase of 52-113% from the number in 1996.
- While living and being alone can be a positive choice for many, studies indicate that the rates of mental and behavioural problems and psychological stress are higher among adults who live alone that in adults living in a household with at least one other person.
- Participation in education is a key means of reducing the risk of social exclusion and poverty. However, people from lower socio-economic status backgrounds are more likely to leave school early, have lower rates of literacy and numeracy and comprise a declining proportion of enrolments in higher education.
- Lower levels of social trust have been associated with higher rates of most causes of death, including heart attacks, cancer, stroke, unintentional injury and infant mortality.
- Nearly 16% of Australian households cannot afford to participate in social activities such as family holidays, having a night out or having family or friends over for a meal. [1]
- Participation in education is a key means of reducing the risk of social exclusion and poverty. [2]
- Lower levels of social trust have been associated with higher rates of most causes of death, including heart attacks, cancer, stroke, unintentional injury and infant mortality. [3]
References
- Saunders P 2003, 'Can Social Exclusion Provide a New Framework for Measuring Poverty?', Social Policy Research Centre (SPRC) Discussion Paper 127, SPRC, Sydney.
- Brotherhood of St Laurence (BSL) 2004, Federal Election, Brotherhood of St Laurence Call to the Parties, BSL, Fitzroy.
- Kawachi I & Berkman LF 2001, ‘Social ties and mental health’, Journal of Urban Health 2001; 78(3):458-467.
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