World Mental Health Day: the impact of loneliness

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On World Mental Health Day, it’s a good time to remember that preventing loneliness through meaningful connections and interactions is an important part of improving mental health.

Loneliness is an entirely subjective experience. You can feel it at any age, whether you have social connections, relationships or family around you. Loneliness is not having enough rewarding social contact and relationships, and in older age it can come down to changes such as loss, reduced mobility, illness or moving home.

Loneliness in older age isn’t inevitable. But more and more older people feel lonely every day, and it can contribute to mental health problems such as depression and anxiety.

Depression isn't a natural part of ageing, and the risk of depression in older age can be reduced through more face to face contact and company. A recent American study found that older people who rarely see their friends and family are almost twice as likely to develop depression.

This is where you come in. Spending some of your spare time to get to know your older neighbours can help: we all need a variety of interactions each day to feel valued, visible and connected.

Helping someone to feel like they’re part of the community is important – not least in London, where the buzzing pace of our capital can easily leave older people feeling left behind. Your older neighbours enjoy having a laugh, watching a film or going out for something to eat as much as the next person. They’ve been around longer than we have, lived through different times and can teach us a thing or two…

Hanging out with your older neighbours for an evening of fun at a Social Club, or visiting someone one-to-one for a good old chat can make a big difference. Having a varied social life is more important than we might think: meeting new people, having new experiences and seeing new places keeps us all going.

To get involved and get to know your older neighbours in south London, sign up below and be part of the community!