A large national survey has laid bare the extent of what some experts are calling Australia’s loneliness epidemic. It shows it's a bigger issue than money for some people with mental health challenges.
00:00While living abroad in her 20s, Roxy Isla's mental health unravelled.
00:08I definitely felt like I couldn't speak to people about it, so that shame kind of held me back a bit.
00:17In a high pressure job and far from family, anxiety, depression and loneliness set in.
00:24We have up days and down days but prolonged sadness for some weeks and some months.
00:31Eventually the Brisbane yoga instructor returned home to Australia and sought help.
00:36Now she's balancing life's curveballs.
00:40Community is really important. As humans we need to connect with others.
00:45But a new survey reveals Australians are feeling increasingly disconnected.
00:50We do know that there's an epidemic of loneliness.
00:53It found some people with mental health challenges struggle more with loneliness than financial distress.
01:00About 30% of Australians are reporting that they feel persistently lonely and that's of great concern because that's not good for our mental health.
01:10Experts say it's time to tackle the silent struggle.
01:14Loneliness is a highly stigmatised issue. In fact, we know about one in two Australians will actively conceal their loneliness, even if they felt lonely and they feel ashamed about it.
01:23Normalising the experience and starting a conversation is key.
01:28Most mental health care actually happens outside of hospitals. It happens in schools, in workplaces, around the kitchen table.
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