Seán Sherlock
Question:491. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health if he will publish any research his Department has commissioned on loneliness in society post-Covid. [50638/23]
View answerTuesday, 21 November 2023
Questions (491)
Written answers
Evidence shows loneliness is a significant issue for population health and a number of different studies have linked loneliness to multiple chronic health conditions. Loneliness levels in Ireland are rising, and the pandemic was a major contributory factor to increases in social isolation. Loneliness can be detrimental for our physical and mental health, while reconnecting with others post-COVID-19 pandemic has numerous physical and mental health benefits.
Mental health and social connectedness have been measured periodically in the Healthy Ireland Survey, which is published in Q3-4 each year. Mental health has been measured in 2016, 2021 and 2023, while social connectedness has been measured in 2021 and 2023.
The 2023 Healthy Ireland Survey was published this week. The 2021 Survey was conducted during significant COVID-19 restrictions, however, the field work for forthcoming 2023 Survey was conducted after all significant restrictions had been lifted.
The Healthy Ireland Survey has been published annually since 2015, with the exception of the 2020 Survey, which was not completed as a result of the onset of the pandemic. The published reports are available at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/231c02-healthy-ireland-survey-wave/
On 20 November 2023, I along with my colleague, the Minister for Health, Wellbeing and National Drugs Strategy Hildegarde Naughton TD and the Chief Medical Officer Professor Breda Smyth invited people to say “Hello Again World”, supported by a multi-media campaign that aims to empower people to increase their social connections.
The campaign also features a new online resource www.gov.ie/en/campaigns/6c10f-social-connections/?referrer=http://www.gov.ie/socialconnections/ that provides information and advice on building and maintaining social connections, as well as signposts to resources nationwide.
The following www.gov.ie/en/press-release/0545c-ministers-and-chief-medical-officer-advise-older-people-how-to-reconnect-with-their-communities-as-they-launch-online-resource/ includes links to
1. The first ever EU-wide survey on loneliness which found that on average 13% of respondents report feeling lonely most or all of the time. Figures for Ireland were higher than the EU average with 20% of respondents reporting feeling lonely.
2. The largest survey on loneliness globally which showed that 29% of older adults aged 65–74 and 27% of those aged 75+ said they felt lonely often or very often.
3. The impact of loneliness on older people was highlighted during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, with almost half of those aged 70 or over feeling very or extremely concerned about maintaining social ties.
4. There is a strong link between loneliness and chronic health conditions plus higher mortality risk, including heart disease, lung disease, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, atherosclerosis, stroke, and metabolic disorders, such as obesity and metabolic disease. It’s also linked to poorer cognitive function and poorer mental health.