Monash Loneliness Framework 2020 – 2025
Loneliness is now recognised as one of Australia's most prominent public health issues. One in four people report regularly feeling lonely and these statistics have only become more significant with the impact of COVID-19. While loneliness affects people individually it can also have a significant impact on the health and wellbeing of the community as a whole.
The antidote to loneliness is meaningful social connection – with family, friends, support networks and the community.
Council has developed the Monash Loneliness Framework 2020 - 2025, making us one of the first councils to look at loneliness and how it impacts on the health of our community. This framework focuses on the importance of social health and facilitating social connections and community engagement as a way of reducing loneliness.
The Framework articulates Council’s approach to addressing loneliness in the community with a series of recommendations to contribute to improving overall community wellbeing and social connections in Monash. It commits to prioritising the importance of fostering social health across the Monash community and facilitating social connections and community engagement.
The Monash Loneliness Framework 2020 – 2025 will align with Council’s next legislated municipal public health and wellbeing plan 2021 – 2025, which will express dedicated actions to prevent and reduce loneliness in our community. We will seek to build an evidence base, which will also contribute more broadly to the sector’s understanding of what works to address loneliness from a public health approach.
Monash Loneliness Framework 2020 - 2025(PDF, 2MB)
Monash Loneliness Framework 2020 - 2025(DOCX, 45KB)
Accessible formats
Plain text version: Monash Loneliness Framework 2020 - 2025 (txt)(TXT, 38KB)
Monash Loneliness Framework Infographic (captioned)(PDF, 599KB)
To request the Monash Loneliness Framework in another format, including translation into a language other than English, please contact Kerryn Jansons, Coordinator, Community Partnerships & Health Promotion, on 9518 3454 or email kerryn.jansons@monash.vic.gov.au