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Going it alone can be tough under any circumstances, but in a time of multiple crises, it can hit even harder. In the latest Australian Unity Wellbeing Index, people under 35 have reported the highest levels of loneliness in the index’s 24-year history.

Without the right support in place, everyone can be vulnerable to the impacts of social isolation. While friends and family can help, many young people are experiencing disconnection that requires extra support. Tapping into wider community services can have a profound effect on how they feel.

Young people’s wellbeing is suffering

Jacqui Emery is the CEO of Royal Far West, a charity that has supported the wellbeing of vulnerable regional and remote Australian children for more than 100 years. By addressing service gaps in these communities, Royal Far West says it can help the system become more effective.

Emery says the complexity of children’s needs has increased exponentially over the past few years.

“There’s no doubt in our minds that events of those years have had a real impact on children, and we’re really seeing that come to the fore,” she says.

The pandemic is the most obvious of these events, but Emery also cites floods and fires that have disproportionately affected country areas. “Family systems are under a lot of stress,” she says. “They just don’t know how to best support kids.”

In times when the support of loved ones might not be enough, wider community support is more important than ever.

Community is one of our greatest health assets

Many factors contribute to poor wellbeing, from financial stress to poor healthcare access. Esther Kerr is the group executive, wealth and capital markets, at Australian Unity, the organisation that surveys and reports on the nation’s wellbeing every year.

The 2024 Australian Unity Wellbeing Index supports Emery’s observations, showing lowest-ever levels of satisfaction with life in Australia among participants as a whole, alongside record-high loneliness in young people. However, Kerr says, even in very difficult moments, strong bonds can help lift us up.

This is reflected in international research, which has repeatedly shown the value of connectedness: more positive wellbeing is associated with a sense of community, and social integration has been reported as the “strongest predictor of subjective wellbeing”. These findings are reflected year after year in the Wellbeing Index.

“It shows us that having good relationships is key to reporting higher levels of personal wellbeing,” Kerr says. “Maintaining a connection to our loved ones and community can significantly help to boost our wellbeing and happiness.”

To get through, we must focus on the ‘we’

As the CEO of AusWISE, Manorani Guy helps international students and graduates navigate Australia’s legal, social and economic systems. Arriving in a new country far from home, these young people are exposed to the risks of being disconnected from community.

On top of – and as a result of – being isolated, many experience intimate partner violence, financial control and coercion, Guy says. “Mental health is definitely one of the biggest issues,” she says.

AusWISE’s approach has community built in; its volunteers are also students, and they work to build a “we” around every individual.

“We’re building this community,” Guy says. “We’re building this tribe so that you have a peer that’s equivalent to you, that you would trust. When they’re sharing their story, it’s authentic.”

Emery agrees. “It does take a community-wide approach,” she says. “We try to acknowledge that communities have a unique knowledge about their own community, about what’s going to work and what they need the most.

“You need to understand the community context.”

Building community support never stops

Kerr says organisations such as these are a vital part of the change that Australia – and Australians – need. “It’s hard to effect great social change as individuals,” she says, “but collectively, by developing and allocating community assets and resources, we can begin to create change.”

There is no simple fix for protracted loneliness. Australia’s young people know this as well as anyone. “But we do know that when we’re not doing so well in one area, being able to fall back and rely on our family, friends and community can go a long way in supporting our wellbeing,” Kerr says.

“We each have the power to uplift the wellbeing of our communities by being a source of support when they need it most.”

Australian Unity delivers positive impact through health, wealth and care services for its members and the community. The 2024 Australian Unity Wellbeing Index is now available – read the report here.