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Loneliness in summertime
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For some of us, loneliness doesn’t take a break during the summer holidays, and the change in routine might actually bring on greater feelings of loneliness. Where possible, it’s important to remain aware of these feelings, and continue to exercise practices which might help cope with these feelings. Remember to reach out to those you’re connected with to keep those links strong, take part in new or old pastimes, and keep active during the summer break and beyond.
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Whilst we at the campaign have taken some time off over the summer ourselves, as usual we’ve rounded up a selection of interesting and inspiring articles and collected a list of events involved in the fight to end loneliness.
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Grab a cool drink, and have a read over what we’ve put together, get involved where you can, and pass the newsletter on to anyone you think might be interested.
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What we are thinking about
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A team of researchers from both University of Manchester and Queen Mary University of London are working on developing a measure of loneliness which focuses on young people aged 10-24. The project involves asking young people about their experiences of loneliness whilst responding to a questionnaire whilst talking through their thought process whilst answering the questions.
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If you’re a young person, or a parent of one, and are interested in taking part in the study, check the link below for more details about the project team, as well as how to get in contact with them.
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Men’s Sheds are a group which is mostly targeted at helping men forge social connections by getting together with others to build, repair, and restore own and community projects. We saw news of this recent addition to the list of existing sheds and thought it was a good opportunity to spread the word about this group.
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The groups are typically aimed at helping older men with feelings of loneliness and isolation, but men and women of any age are welcome.
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You can find out more about the projects, and fine your nearest shed, on the link below.
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The Conversation recently published an article about how, whilst it might have its own set of challenges, reconnecting with people we’ve fallen out of touch with might be a good way to alleviate feelings of loneliness.
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The article gives some useful, evidence-based advice on how we can, and why we might want to, reconnect with old friends. Sometimes connections with friends break down and we can’t explain why. This article is a useful reminder that reconnection is possible.
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Loneliness Around the Globe
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The Extraordinary Ordinaries podcast invites residents of care homes in Townsville, Australia, to share their life stories and has helped ease transition from independent living and improve feelings of social connectedness.
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The series is looking to expand into more care homes in the area but is also a useful reminder that recounting stories from our lives can help combat feelings of loneliness and give a sense of belonging.
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The WHO Commission on Social Connection recently finished the first step in an exercise to identify the grand challenges in social connection by inviting professionals in the field from around the world to give their thoughts on the matter.
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Whilst submissions for this first stage closed on 31st July, we’ll provide details about the next stage, as well as provide details about the main findings when this becomes available to us, so stay tuned.
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On our reading list
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This article explores the dynamics of a common relationship, a family member as a caregiver, and details their thoughts and feelings about how they provide care and get feedback from those they care for.
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The researchers give useful insight into how different individuals might value different approaches more than others, but also provides a general idea of the most useful types of intervention to help with loneliness for both sides of the relationship.
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This study used a large sample to determine how levels of depression, loneliness, and quality of life can predict later episodes of these factors, and how this differs between males and females.
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The article provides support for the idea that these factors all need to be measured and that improved quality of life can protect against feelings of loneliness and depression in many different countries.
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This article analyses interviews from recipients of the “Meal on Wheels” service. The article explores how social connection services such as these can benefit those who require them and provides a good case for continuing to develop and expand these services to help combat feelings of loneliness in older adults and those who are homebound.
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Dates for your diary
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20th August 2024 – 10:00 – 10:45 (BST) Online
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Associate Professor Michele H Lim of The University of Sydney will be running a webinar to discuss what loneliness is, its effects, and what we can do about it.
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18th September 2024 – Online
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The University of York will be hosting this conference online, aimed at tackling parental loneliness in the first 1001 days.
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“Are you interested in reducing parental loneliness experienced in the first 1001 days of a child’s life? This online conference brings together academics and people working in services that support parents to share research findings, build collaborations, and discuss priorities for future research.”
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More details can be found in the link above, with more information to come.
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