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Loneliness Awareness Week: Building Connection, Belonging and Community Care

MEDIA RELEASE / AWARENESS STATEMENT

For Immediate Release

3rd August 2026


Loneliness Awareness Week: Building Connection, Belonging and Community Care
Loneliness Awareness Week: Building Connection, Belonging and Community Care

During Loneliness Awareness Week, the Australian Association of Mental Health Practitioners (AAMHP) is encouraging Australians to recognise loneliness as a serious wellbeing issue and to take small, practical steps to strengthen connection within families, workplaces and communities.


Loneliness is not simply the absence of people. It is the painful experience of feeling disconnected, unseen or unsupported. It can affect people of any age and at any stage of life, including young people, older Australians, carers, new parents, people living alone, those experiencing grief, people in regional and remote communities, and those who may appear outwardly busy or socially connected.


AAMHP Chair Shane Warren said:


“Loneliness reminds us that human beings are not designed to do life alone. Connection is not a luxury; it is a core part of mental health and wellbeing. A simple check-in, a shared conversation, or an invitation to belong can make an enormous difference to someone who feels isolated.” [Shane Warren]

Loneliness Awareness Week is an important reminder that community care begins with everyday action. Reaching out to a friend, calling a family member, inviting someone for coffee, checking in on a neighbour, or making space for genuine conversation can help reduce isolation and strengthen belonging.


AAMHP also recognises the role of mental health practitioners, counsellors, peer workers, community workers and other helping professionals in supporting people who experience loneliness, social isolation and disconnection. While professional support is important, connection is also created through families, friendships, neighbourhoods, workplaces, faith communities, cultural groups and local services.


AAMHP Secretary Susan Sandy said:

“People often carry loneliness quietly. They may not ask for help, because they do not want to feel like a burden. That is why small acts of kindness matter. When we take the time to notice, listen and include others, we help create safer and more compassionate communities.” [Susan Sandy]

This Loneliness Awareness Week, AAMHP encourages Australians to pause and consider who in their life may need a call, a message, an invitation or a listening ear. Building connection does not always require grand gestures. Often, it begins with a simple question asked with genuine care: How are you really going?


A more connected world is built through the everyday courage of reaching out, including others and reminding people that they matter.


Media Contact:

Shane Warren, Chair

Susan Sandy, Secretary

Philip Armstrong, CEO



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