Researcher Dhruv Sharma asks why in this ‘age of connectivity’, with so much research already carried out on loneliness interventions for older adults, we haven’t yet been able to solve the problem of chronic loneliness.  “Our bodies and minds are not designed for lonely lives”  When talking about the ‘social’ nature of human beings, noted…
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A large body of research on loneliness focuses upon older adults only. A recent study by Luhmann and Hawkley broadens the knowledge gap by using data from a large nationally representative German study to describe and explain age differences in loneliness across the entire adult life span, from late adolescence to oldest old age. In…
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In our latest guest blog, Dr Claire Niedzwiedz discusses results from a new piece of research, published in Preventive Medicine, investigating how older people’s loneliness varies according to their level of wealth and how those with the least experience more loneliness than the wealthiest. They found that taking part in formal social activities, such as attending a sport or…
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Social prescribing links patients with non-medical facilities in the community which provide social, emotional or practical support. A recent review considered the benefits of 35 social prescribing schemes across the UK. Many of these social prescribing schemes focus on the use of arts, education, exercise or healthy living initiatives, among others, to promote health and…
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Research carried out in 2015, in conjunction with adult education charity, the Workers’ Education Association, considered how group singing can facilitate the ‘ice-breaker effect’; rapid cohesion between social groups without the need to know individuals on a personal level.  This blog post considers what the research found and the implications for service providers. What the…
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