An eight-year-old boy is often hungry, but knows if he tells his mum, she will eat less herself and go hungry. He hates the thought, so he stays quiet. An 11-year-old girl knows once rent is paid, there is almost nothing left over, so she tries not to ask for too much. She never takes Read more
The COVID-19 pandemic has drawn attention to loneliness in Australia. This is especially so as Melburnians entered the strictest lockdown to date. Meanwhile, the rest of Australia braces for the possibility of a second wave and people are adapting to new habits and restrictions. This has disrupted our social routines, and in many cases has Read more
In its 2018 budget, the Australian government announced $46 million towards the community visitors scheme which is designed to reduce loneliness in older adults. Earlier this year, Tracey Crouch was appointed the United Kingdom’s first minister for loneliness. While it may seem unusual to some to have government take a role in improving our social Read more
The awful record of the institutional Catholic church’s leadership in dealing with the scandal of clerical sex abuse of minors has clearly, and rightly, been a trigger for the federal government’s Royal Commission into sexual abuse of children in Australia. This is a record that has already prompted other inquiries here and overseas. It would indeed be Read more
Many people know what it’s like to feel sad or down from time to time. We can experience negative emotions due to many things – a bad day at work, a relationship break-up, a sad film, or just getting out of bed on the “wrong side”. Sometimes we even say that we’re feeling a bit Read more