Dynamics of loneliness and social isolation

Funding agency

Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Grant

National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Grant

Project period

2018 – 2028

Project investigators

CHE Researchers

Project aims

Social isolation and loneliness are increasingly recognised as significant risk factors for poor physical and mental health. They contribute to the onset and progression of chronic diseases and pose substantial barriers to effective disease management and rehabilitation. In response, there is growing emphasis on generating evidence to inform targeted, equitable, and cost-effective strategies that address these issues as part of a holistic approach to health care.

One major research project takes a population-level perspective, applying advanced econometric modelling techniques to longitudinal data from Australia and the UK. Drawing on four nationally representative surveys, the study seeks to identify the socioeconomic determinants of loneliness and social isolation, quantify their impacts on health and well-being, and assess the effectiveness of potential policy interventions. The aim is to produce robust, policy-relevant insights to inform strategies that mitigate the societal burden of social disconnection.

Complementing this, a set of intervention-focused projects concentrates on chronic disease management. These include the development of socially inclusive models of care for individuals living with mental illness, and a clinical trial testing an intervention designed to reduce loneliness among people undergoing treatment for alcohol and other drug misuse. These initiatives are co-designed with community and consumer stakeholders to ensure that the resulting approaches are context-sensitive, acceptable, and effective across diverse populations.

Publications

Kung, C.S.J., Kunz, J.S. and Shields, M.A. (2021), Economic Aspects of Loneliness in Australia. Australian Economic Review, 54: 147-163.

Johnston DW, Kung CSJ, Shields MA. Who is resilient in a time of crisis? The importance of financial and non-financial resources. Health Econ. 2021 Dec;30(12):3051-3073. doi: 10.1002/hec.4428.

Kung CSJ, Kunz JS, Shields MA. COVID-19 lockdowns and changes in loneliness among young people in the U.K. Soc Sci Med. 2023 Mar;320:115692. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.115692.

Kung, CSJ., Pudney, SE. and Shields, MA. (2022). Economic gradients in loneliness, social isolation and social support: Evidence from the UK Biobank. Social Science and Medicine, 306, pp. 115122.

Freak-Poli, R, Kung, CSJ., Ryan, J. and Shields, MA. (2022). Social isolation, social support and loneliness profiles before and after spousal death, and the buffering role of financial resources. Journal of Gerontology: Psychological and Social Sciences, 77, pp. 956-971.

Freak-Poli, R., Jenkins, S. P., Shields, M. A., & Trinh, T. A. (2024). Evidence on the Robustness of the Links between Social Relationships and Mortality (No. 17274). IZA Discussion Papers

Kunz JS, Trinh TA, Berk M, Earnest A, Engel L, Hamilton M, Hayes L, Le LK-D, Lim M, Rizal F, Skouteris H, Shields MA, Mihalopoulos C. Are recessions bad for loneliness? Social Science & Medicine. 2025 Aug;384:118500. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.118500