Milly Rose Bannister is the founder and CEO of the youth mental health charity ALLKND. Lastly, she is calling out a sobering trend of loneliness increasing within young Australians. It’s not just the community—Bannister has garnered more than 137,000 followers on Instagram. She’s an active mental health advocate who uses her platform to spread awareness about social media’s impact on relationships and mental health. Recent findings from the 2023 Social Connection in Australia report reveal alarming statistics: one in four Australians grapples with persistent loneliness, and one in three people experience feelings of isolation at any given time.
The report reveals a deeply worrying trend in Australia’s mental health, especially for younger generations. An alarming 56 percent of test-takers said social media left them feeling agitated and preoccupied. This experience had a profound effect on their mental health. It is a time when social media and other digital conversations have replaced real-life engagement and the impact of these platforms is immeasurable. Bannister expressed her concerns about this trend, stating, “We have inherited a bit of a bin fire and been given a water pistol.”
The challenges they face have only been exacerbated by the cost of living crisis. A shocking 86 percent of Gen Z and millennial respondents report that it has stifled their ability to chase dreams and aspirations. This financial burden impacts professional dreams deeply but increases the risk of loneliness.
The mental health crisis is an emergency. Demand for mental health services Increased rates of mental and physical disease One-in-five Australians have experienced a mental disorder in the last year. The youth demographic is experiencing an alarming spike in these struggles. According to a recent survey, nearly 3 in 8 young adults between 16-24 say they’ve encountered them. A staggering 91 percent of participants aged 18-39 believe that social media adversely affects the strength of their real-life interactions.
Workplace environments do not offer respite either. The extent of workplace bullying is shocking. 1 of every 3 women have experienced bullying at work. This one statistic reveals yet another layer of isolation that millions experience every single day. As noted by a recent report from the Social Health Foundation, “Workplace bullying is at an epidemic level.”
Community support mechanisms—both formal and informal—play a key role in bridging these gaps. In 2019, Glenys Reid opened the first Chatty Café at Eclair Boulangerie. Her aim was to inspire casual encounters, those little daily moments that have an incredible impact on mental health. Reid remarked, “It’s an invisible and silent epidemic in Australia that we need to take action on.”
As mental health professionals agree, our current methods of treating mental health issues can no longer meet the overwhelming influx we’re seeing in this emergency. Dr. Melanie Wilde highlighted the importance of developing a broad national approach to engaging and reinforcing local communities to address and bolster community support networks. She stated, “What we need is a national strategy that funds the places, people, and platforms that keep communities strong — from pubs to libraries, sports clubs to cafes.”
Dr. Pramudie Gunaratne reminded everyone that we have to go deeper than just specific mental health problems. He emphasized that our healthcare system can no longer afford to just treat mental illness. “As psychiatrists, we are trained in caring for mental illness, but mental health is much wider than that,” he explained. Too often, young people are coming to us bereft and in crisis before they reach out for assistance.
There’s a real crisis that needs intervention, here in Australia. Clearly, only 17.4 percent of people with mental disorders have gone to health professionals for help. This disconnect comes at a cost, creating a gulf between those who actually need assistance and those who get it. Nicole Serafin shared insights from her experience working with individuals facing crises, asserting that they often disclose serious personal struggles without receiving appropriate support.
These statistics only scratch the surface of a centuries-old epidemic that is in desperate need of acknowledgment and action. Furthermore, the report found that 46 percent of respondents believed that online dating apps “made them more lonely”. For young Australians today, dating and making friends in a world filled with online platforms can make those overwhelming feelings even worse.
To address loneliness in ways that really make a difference, there’s a lot of desire to fund new, creative solutions. Approximately two-thirds of Gen Z and millennials are in favor of a shorter work week. They hope it will lead to better mental health outcomes and reduced feelings of isolation.
