Targeted Call for Research into Loneliness, social isolation and chronic disease management 2022

Loneliness and/or social isolation can lead to people feeling that they don’t belong in society or that their social network is smaller or of poorer quality than they wish. People who are lonely or socially isolated are at increased risk of developing a chronic health condition or worsening of their health status.

This TCR aimed to support research that will inform future policies, programs and initiatives that are designed to assist people experiencing loneliness and/or social isolation to manage their chronic disease.

Successful applications for this TCR aimed to:

• Understand how social isolation and loneliness lead to a decline in health status, poor disease management or reduced rehabilitation for people with chronic disease.
  • This may include an examination of the economic and societal structures that make certain groups of people more prone to social isolation and loneliness.
• Identify interventions that address loneliness and social isolation that can be incorporated into the management of patients with chronic disease.
• Develop screening tools and resources which equip health and community service providers to assist individuals who may be at a risk of health deterioration and inadequate treatment of chronic conditions due to social isolation and/or loneliness.

Outcomes from funded applications will inform the development of evidence-based policies and programs, inside and outside the health sector (for example, education, housing and urban planning, local government and social welfare), for people with chronic disease who are lonely and/or socially isolated.