LONELINESS can have a significant impact on our health. It increases the risk of stress, anxiety, depression and increases the risk of dementia.

This week, the Scottish Parliament debated the issue of tackling social isolation and loneliness, recognising it as a public health issue.

During the pandemic, most of us experienced a long period of enforced isolation and many of us experienced loneliness in a way that we had never done before.

Much of society has returned to normal but the pandemic resulted in an increased impact of loneliness upon disabled people, younger people and those who live alone.

According to Age Scotland, 100,000 older people in Scotland feel lonely all or most of the time; 200,000 will go half a week without a visit or call from anyone.

 

 

In addition, the cost-of-living crisis is now a real threat that has a large impact on people’s ability to take up opportunities to interact and therefore has a detrimental impact on mental health and loneliness.

I welcome the recent steps the Scottish Government has taken by announcing the Social Isolation and Loneliness Fund, which will distribute £3.8 million to community groups and organisations tackling social isolation and loneliness until July 2026.

There are things that we can do to help with loneliness. In our local community, organisations such as Ageing Well run activities that promote physical health and there are befriending services that you can contact if you are over 16.

Volunteering organisations are a great way for people of all age groups to meet new people, as is learning to use digital technology to connect with old friends and make new ones.

I am proud of the community groups in our local area that do such valuable work helping prevent loneliness. Tackling this public health issue is a collective responsibility and requires a shared commitment across the public, private and third sectors, and we must all play our part in doing so.