Check In On Your Neighbour: Loneliness Is Closer Than We Think

This Sunday, Neighbour Day invites Australians to check in on a neighbour. It’s a simple act, but it counts.

For many people in New South Wales, loneliness is no longer occasional. It is becoming part of everyday life. Nearly one in four Australians reported feeling lonely in the latest Relationships Indicator Survey, and more than a third experience social loneliness.

The recent NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into Loneliness has brought this into sharper focus. Its findings reflect what many services have seen for some time: loneliness is widespread, shaped by structural pressures as much as personal circumstances, and closely linked to poor mental and physical health outcomes.

We are living through a period of sustained uncertainty. Global conflict, economic pressure and a constant stream of distressing news are eroding people’s sense of safety and stability.

Not all connection is equal. What matters is whether those relationships are steady, reciprocal and able to hold up under pressure.

Some people have others in their lives but still feel alone. For others, the challenge is finding relationships that feel meaningful and sustaining in the first place.

Decades of research point to this distinction. The Harvard Study of Adult Development, one of the longest-running studies of its kind, found that the quality of our relationships is one of the strongest predictors of long-term health and wellbeing, more so than wealth or IQ. Poor relationships and ongoing disconnection are linked to increased risks of depression, heart disease and early death.

This is what we see every day in practice. People come to us not only because their relationships are under strain – through conflict, separation, financial stress, or the accumulation of smaller tensions over time – but also because they are struggling to build or find relationships that feel meaningful and sustaining.

Many try to manage this on their own. Some are not sure where to turn, or whether what they are experiencing can be helped.

If we are serious about addressing loneliness, this is where the conversation needs to deepen.

Building connection in the community is an important part of the response. It also needs to be matched by support that helps people navigate the relationships they already have. That might mean learning how to communicate more clearly, manage conflict, or rebuild trust after a period of strain.

These are not always easy things to do, particularly when people are already under pressure. But they are skills that can be learned, and they make a meaningful difference over time.

The NSW Loneliness Inquiry is a welcome step forward. It brings together evidence and lived experience, and signals a growing recognition, both here and globally, that social connection is fundamental to our health.

The opportunity now is to build on that momentum in a sustained way.

Because while loneliness may be increasingly visible, the answer is not simply more connection. It is stronger, more supportive relationships, and making sure people have access to the support they need to build and sustain them.