Research outputs

Loneliness and social isolation Concept Map

As part of Workstream 1, our evidence mapping stream, we co-developed a concept map of loneliness and social isolation in collaboration with our Community Advisory Group and project stakeholders. Learn more about the two stakeholder workshops that informed this process here.

To see the concept map full screen, click here.

Connecting for Better Health project publications

Earnest A, Lim MH, Engel L, Filia K, Clifford S, Rizal F, Hayes L, Zoungas S, Pourghaderi A, Nejati H, et al. Geographic Variation in Loneliness and Social Isolation in Australia: Socio-Demographic and Healthcare Utilisation Determinants. Healthcare. 2026; 14(10):1318. doi: 10.3390/healthcare14101318.

Rizal MF, Mihalopoulos C, Clifford S, Earnest A, Hamilton MP, Le LKD, Lim MH, Engel L. Health Utility Decrements Associated With Social Isolation and Loneliness: Evidence From Australian Longitudinal Data. Value in Health. 2025 Oct 30:S1098-3015(25)05657-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jval.2025.10.006.

Kunz JS, Trinh TA, Berk M, Earnest A, Engel L, Hamilton M, Hayes L, Khanh-Dao Le L, Lim M, Rizal F, Skouteris H, Shields MA, Mihalopoulos C. Are recessions bad for loneliness? Social Science & Medicine. 2025 Aug 25;384:118500. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.118500.

Related publications

Engel L, Rizal MF, Clifford S, Faller J, Lim MH, Le LK, Chatterton ML, Mihalopoulos C. An Updated Systematic Literature Review of the Economic Costs of Loneliness and Social Isolation and the Cost Effectiveness of Interventions. PharmacoEconomics. 2025 Sep;43(9):1047-1063. doi: 10.1007/s40273-025-01516-w.

Engel L, Mihalopoulos C. The loneliness epidemic: a holistic view of its health and economic implications in older age. Medical Journal of Australia. 2024 Aug 15. doi: 10.5694/mja2.52414.

Majmudar IK, Mihalopoulos C, Abimanyi-Ochom J, Mohebbi M, Engel L. The association between loneliness with health service use and quality of life among informal carers in Australia. Social Science & Medicine. 2024 May;348:116821. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.116821