With one in three Australians experiencing loneliness, AIA Australia is seeking 10,000 pledges of social connection as part of its Ending Loneliness is Free campaign.
The campaign, launched during Australian Loneliness Awareness Week*, encourages Australians to pledge a small act of connection with someone, and offers a range of options all of which are accessible and free.
With its partner Ending Loneliness Together, AIA is aiming to normalise conversations about loneliness and encourage people to create a culture of connection at home, work, school and in their community.
Damien Mu, CEO of AIA Australia, says the insurer is committed to raising awareness about the impact that loneliness can have on health and wellbeing.
He says research has shown that loneliness is a risk factor for poor health, wellbeing and lower workplace productivity.
“As a health and life insurer, we recognise the importance of making an ongoing pledge to combat loneliness. Raising awareness about this social issue and providing much-needed support needs to occur each and every week, not just during Loneliness Awareness Week.”
AIA Australia also hosted a pledge wall pop up at Melbourne Central in the city’s CBD where visitors were encouraged to write their personal commitment to help end loneliness.
Loneliness in the Workplace
To help combat loneliness in the workplace, AIA and ELT delivered a webinar during Loneliness Awareness Week designed for corporates and superfunds to demonstrate the importance of social connection at work.
The insurer has also collaborated with ELT to develop a workplace training program that aims to raise awareness of workplace loneliness and the subsequent impacts this has on both employers and employees.
Associate Professor Michelle Lim, CEO and Scientific Chair of ELT, says the organisation’s 2023 State of the Nation report showed that Australians who reported loneliness were also more likely to report absenteeism, presenteeism and workplace loneliness.
The organisation’s newly published research found:
- One in four Australians report persistent loneliness, which means feeling lonely for at least eight weeks
- Australians living with chronic health conditions such as cancer, heart problems, diabetes, arthritis, asthma, kidney and liver disease are 1.5 times more likely to be persistently lonely
- Australians living with a mental health condition such as anxiety or depression are almost three times more likely to experience persistent loneliness
*Loneliness Awareness Week runs from 5-11 August.
