Introduction by Croakey: This Saturday is World Mental Health Day, with the theme, Lived experiences heard: real voices, real change. In Australia, October is Mental Health Month, with the theme this year of Together we thrive.
To mark these events, Mental Health Australia commissioned an online survey to explore how connected Australians feel and their views on how connection relates to mental health and wellbeing. Almost two-thirds of respondents felt people are becoming more disconnected from each other.
This finding follows data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics earlier this year showing that among Australians aged 15 and over, just 53 percent had weekly in-person contact with family or friends living outside their household in 2025, down from 68 percent in 2019. The ABS also found that all measures of trust declined between 2020 and 2025.
The new survey, conducted by Essential Research in July, did not explicitly examine underlying factors such as increased fuel prices and other cost of living pressures, housing insecurity, increasing experiences of racism, or the contribution of social media algorithms to social and political polarisation.
However, Carolyn Nikoloski, CEO of Mental Health Australia, identifies some of the factors undermining Australians’ sense of connection in the article below, and calls for policy responses such as investment in free communal spaces, public events, social groups and ensuring access to green spaces and natural environments.
Carolyn Nikoloski writes:
I’m lucky to have many opportunities to connect with others every day in a range of contexts. It might be walking my dog Otto around the neighbourhood and saying hi to other locals, dropping my kids to school, talking with work colleagues, attending a yoga class after work, or catching up with family and friends who live close by.
But for many people, connection is much harder to come by. Our new research, released ahead of World Mental Health Day on 10 October, shows nearly two-thirds of people (64%) believe we are becoming more disconnected from each other.
The nationally representative Essential survey found only 21 percent of people feel very connected to friends, family, neighbours or their community. And about a third (30%) say they feel less connected to others than they did 10 years ago.
At the same time, many people recognise the importance of social connection for their mental health.
More than half (57%) say that feeling included and part of something bigger than themselves helps them cope during stressful times, while 64 percent say feeling connected and having a sense of belonging positively impacts their mental health.
The findings highlight a growing “connection deficit” between the value people place on connection and belonging and how connected many feel in their daily lives.
This is concerning, because connection is an important protective factor for our mental health and wellbeing.
Barriers
We know connection helps – so what’s keeping us apart?
Life feels particularly heavy right now: Right now, we are living through what’s often described as a polycrisis – multiple, overlapping pressures that are impacting our lives and our mental health. We’re navigating global conflict and uncertainty, a 24/7 news feed, cost of living pressures and rapid technological change, which is leaving many of us feeling overwhelmed and disconnected.
Many people are feeling stretched by the demands of their everyday lives, which can make it harder to prioritise relationships and community involvement.
Structural and systemic disadvantages: On top of this, many in our community face extra barriers that make it even more difficult to find and sustain connection.
These can include:
- People living in poverty who can’t afford to socialise because they may not have the money for transport or to participate in social activities.
- People without secure housing, whose energy is taken up with surviving day to day and finding a roof over their head.
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, who continue to experience significant inequities and disproportionately high levels of psychological distress.
- People from multicultural backgrounds who may have limited English or social networks within Australia, or who may face discrimination or racism.
- Carers, who may have limited time, energy or opportunity to connect with others.
- People living with mental health challenges or other chronic health conditions that may not be able to access the support they need. This is especially true for the 500,000 people living with a psychosocial disability who aren’t able to access the support they need.
Other technological and societal shifts – like an increase in social media use and remote work. Society has also changed dramatically over the past decade. We are volunteering less (In 2025, 23 percent of people did unpaid voluntary work through an organisation (23%), down from 30 percent in 2019). More of us are also working or studying remotely – 36 percent of employed Australians regularly work from home.
Social media has also dramatically changed how we communicate. While we are more connected than ever online, which can have some benefits, we are not spending as much time face to face, which is important for us to feel part of a community.
Data from the latest Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey indicates socialising rates have dropped over the past 20 years, and, more recently, have not returned to pre-COVID frequency.
Policy responses
Many interconnected and complex reasons are behind declining connection levels and their impacts on mental health. While there is no single solution, there are clear areas where policy can help create the conditions for stronger, more connected communities.
Connection is a whole-of-government and whole-of-community issue. It is not just a mental health issue – it’s an issue that is integrated into every part of society.
We need coordinated, sustained action that creates the conditions for individuals and communities to thrive. This includes the basics like safe and secure housing, access to affordable daily necessities, employment and education opportunities and living free from discrimination and violence.
All of these affect connection and can negatively impact mental health, and prevent people from participating fully in their communities.
We also need to look at the broader design of our communities, and invest in free communal space, public events, social groups and providing access to green spaces and natural environments.
These create opportunities for people to connect with others and foster a sense of community. Strong community connections, cultural safety and equity are not optional – they are the foundations of a mentally healthy community.
Addressing the negative impacts of social media and technology, and calling on technology companies to take responsibility for the way some of their products are designed is also part of this.
The Australian Government’s recently proposed ‘My Feed, My Way’ Digital Duty of Care reforms is an example of how policy can help create safer online environments for young people.
Prevention must come first
We know that preventing issues before they develop can enable people to live healthier and happier lives, reduce pressure on services and deliver better long-term outcomes.
Having strong relationships and social connections are part of the scaffolding that helps people protect their mental health and respond when times are tough.
Mental Health Australia’s recently released Sector Priorities for the next National Mental Health and Suicide Agreement sets out clear and practical actions governments can take to improve mental health outcomes through targeted investment in priority reform areas, a key one being prevention.
Mental health challenges are now the leading global cause of living with poor health or ‘nonfatal burden of disease’ – with anxiety conditions and major depression the leading mental health related contributors.
A strategic, well-funded focus on prevention and early intervention across the lifespan is essential to reversing the growing prevalence of mental health challenges, improving outcomes for people and reducing costs for governments.
The Productivity Commission found that a $1.5 billion investment in general prevention and early intervention would save governments $2.6 billion over ten years.
We are calling on the next Agreement to increase investment in prevention – in line with Aim 4 of the National Preventive Health Strategy 2021-2030 – to five percent of total national health expenditure. There is a strong and increasing evidence base to guide this investment in effective preventive mental health action and system architecture.
This should include investments to: increase access to perinatal and infant mental health and wellbeing programs, scale mental health and wellbeing programs within schools and early learning services, boost local mental health promotion capability, and embed prevention in national reporting.
We know we feel better when we connect. We are wired to be part of community with others. Despite the challenges, let’s keep working to build communities of connection and advocate for change so that everyone in our society can live well, participate fully and feel hopeful about their future.
Author details
Carolyn Nikoloski is the CEO of Mental Health Australia, the national independent peak body for the mental health sector. Mental Health Australia leads the national campaign for Mental Health Month and World Mental Health Day.
Further reading
On the importance of connection for health and wellbeing:
- Profiling the strength and restorative nature of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership
- Leading transformative change in Indigenous mental health and suicide prevention
See Croakey’s archive of articles on the social determinants of health
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