Health Education and
Promotion

UoB 12012025

Campaign to End
Loneliness

Contents page
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Description of campaign
Statistics
Risk factors
Evidence base of campaign
Aims and objectives
Campaign activities
Assessment of campaign
Conclusion
References

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Coalition -organisations, individuals – research- campaigning to combat loneliness 

Aim – reduce - effects of loneliness and social isolation

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Launched in February 2011 by five charities- now 250 organisations

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Funded by Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
Bolton (2012), Windle et al (2011)

Leading organisation and affiliates
Sense
SSence
S

Bolton, (2012)

Need for campaign
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Loneliness–subjective feeling –transient, situational, chronic
Between 2 and 16 times - to die prematurely.
Impact undesirable - individual, community, societal level
Population ageing in UK
Aged over 65 approx. 20%
Campaign aiming to deal with consequences
Impact of loneliness just as damaging as lifelong smoking, alcoholism and more than obesity and inactivity.

Marmot (2010), Victor et al (2012)

Risk factors and triggers 

Interpersonal engagement – relation –family, friends,

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Life stage events- retirement, bereavement

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Wider social structures – poverty, social care, ageism

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Social environment – living arrangements, access to transport

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Social economic health inequalities – experience and consequences vary – position in society

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Gender and age

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Ethnic minority-more at risk

Age UK (2012), Valtorta and Hanratty, (2012)

Literature review of evidence-base Literature review of 30 studies by Cattan, (2005)suggest that educational and social activities that target specific groups can alleviate social isolation and loneliness among older people however, befriending and home visits remain unclear Cattan, (2005)

Evidence-base of similar campaign 

SOAR Opportunity Fund in the United States supported quality of family, friends and neighbours

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Identified impact at 3 levels: Impact on wellbeing,
Influence on policies, regulations, systems and
Leverage in terms of public and private investment

Organisational Research Service for Casey Foundation (2004),
Victor, (2012)

Aims and Objectives of
Campaign
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Focus on reducing effects of loneliness and social isolation

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Specific objectives – preventative care and support - promote independence, prevent/delay- deterioration of wellbeing ageing, illness or disability.

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Delay need for more costly and intensive services.

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No built in measures to demonstrate success
Scharf (2011)

The Bigger Picture

Bolton

Campaign activities
 One

to One schemes

Befriending, Mentoring, Community Navigators
 Group
 Wider

schemes – day centre services

Community Engagement–sport, library, museum

 Group

intervention- more effective, no academically robust evidence for it.
Age UK (2010), Windle et al (2011))

Theoretical Framework
Support
Reduce loneliness and isolation

Monitor
Model appropriate relationships

Maintain
Not very successful – lack strategy to policy makers, motivation, empowerment to individuals through publicity.
Need to go upstream first then downstream – not both at the same time.
Age UK

Loneliness from different perspectives Hawkley et al (2010)

Conceptual framework suggested  Theory of Change (ToC) – a representation of how and why a complex change process will succeed under specific circumstances. Process and Product.
 Used
 On

as a road of your outcomes – how you get where you want to go.

going check to see if you are on track

 Your

basis for evaluation

 Theory

should be: Credible, Achievable, Testable, Supported.

 Seek

to educate policy makers on loneliness first, then motivate, empower people at working class level before age 65.

Victor (2011)

Theory of Change

DCLG, (2010)

Educational material
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Legibility / readability – appropriate and no educational material but support – physically, mentally, socially

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Language used – appropriate –discussions