Problem

According to Age UK, more than 2 million people in England over the age of 75 live alone, and more than a million older people say they go for over a month without speaking to a friend, neighbour or family member.

COVID-19 exasperated these

problems of loneliness across society.

Nine months into Covid-19 restrictions, one in four adults in the UK said they had feelings of loneliness in the “previous two weeks”.

Younger people

Loneliness levels have been higher in young people, such as those people who are unemployed, single parents and full time students in each wave of the survey which has tracked the mental health of the nation since March.

So what did Connectforce think could be a solution?

We learnt that: 

61% of people reported that either being

kind to others or receiving kindness from others

has a positive effect on their mental health.

“The best first-line antidepressant for

older people is probably companionship.”

BMJ Learning

And so Connectforce has...