Loneliness & Society 5.0: A public lecture delivered on 12 May 2022 to celebrate Mental Health Awareness Week 2022

This presentation was delivered on 12 May 2022 to celebrate Mental Health Awareness Week. Speakers: • Dr Austen El-Osta (Imperial College London) • Professor Pamela Qualter (University of Manchester) • Dr Nina Goldman (University of Basel) Play video
This presentation was delivered on 12 May 2022 to celebrate Mental Health Awareness Week. Speakers: • Dr Austen El-Osta (Imperial College London) • Professor Pamela Qualter (University of Manchester) • Dr Nina Goldman (University of Basel)

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About this event

Loneliness and social isolation are significant determinants of health and quality of life. People can experience social isolation and loneliness over their lifetime, moving in and out of these states as their circumstances change. However, due to physical distancing measures and travel restrictions during COVID, feelings of loneliness may have increased, negatively impacting public mental health and wellbeing.

Will overuse of technology be a cure or a cause of loneliness? And will virtual realities & feelings of loneliness be a defining feature of 21st-century living and the emerging Society 5.0? Where is this all going?

In this public lecture, we embark on a whistle-stop tour to explore loneliness and social isolation and discuss some of the research currently underway to understand how we can engage with and support individuals who may be lonely and suffering in silence.

 In particular, we will discuss how our collaborative work with Local Councils and NHS partners is helping us to develop a ‘heat map’ of loneliness to inform targeted interventions. You can learn more about the Measuring Loneliness (INTERACT) study & complete a brief online survey. The 10 min video segment that discusses the INTERACT study commences at 28min 30s timestamp.