New data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reveal that one in 10 people experienced loneliness in the previous four weeks, compared with almost one in five in October 2020.
Head of Household Surveys at the ABS, David Zago said the latest Household Impacts of COVID-19 Survey had been conducted from 16-to-25 April.
“It showed fewer Australians in April experienced events or conditions that cause stress when compared with October 2020 when we last followed up on the same topic,” Mr Zago said.
He said the survey also explored the topic of social connection.
“In April 2021, 92 per cent of Australians reported doing activities with family or friends and 39 per cent reported activities with community groups or clubs,” Mr Zago said.
“Two in three Australians (67 per cent) rated their ability to get support from family and friends when they needed it as excellent or very good. One in two people (47 per cent) reported having an excellent or very good sense of being part of a group or community.”
He said that although poor levels of social connection were reported the least often across all Australians, some groups were more likely to indicate poor levels of social connection than others.
“Poor levels of support from family or friends when needed were more likely to be reported by people with disability (reported by seven per cent) than people without disability (reported by three per cent),” Mr Zago said.
“More people living alone (11 per cent) reported a poor sense of being part of a group or community than people in family households with children (six per cent) and without children (five per cent).”
The Bureau’s full report can be accessed at this PS News link.
