Read about social isolation; one of the priorities in Bristol's Health and Wellbeing Strategy.
Social isolation was the focus of a project between Bristol City Council and the Marmot team at the Institute of Health Equity, University College London.
The project's research was included in the Public Health England publication: Reducing social isolation across the lifecourse.
Locally, social isolation amongst older people is being addressed by Bristol Ageing Better. Work is underway with partners, the National Lottery and the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness to develop solutions that respond to local issues.
Why tackling social isolation is important
Social isolation can have physically and emotionally damaging effects resulting in:
- depression
- poor nutrition
- decreased immunity
- anxiety
- fatigue and
- social stigma.
Weak social connections carry a health risk that is:
- more harmful than not exercising
- twice as harmful as obesity and
- comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day or being an alcoholic.
Socially isolated older adults have:
- longer stays in hospital
- a greater number of GP visits and
- are more dependent on homecare services.
Reports and recommendations from the Bristol project
- pdf Social isolation in Bristol 2013. Initial findings report (1.50 MB) (October 2013)
- pdf Social isolation: A conceptual overview diagram (6.48 MB) (October 2013)/li>
- pdf Social isolation in Bristol 2014. Risks, Interventions and Recommendations Repor (1.19 MB) t (March 2014)
- pdf Social isolation Recommendations Summary (281 KB) (March 2014);
- pdf Social isolation, gender and sexual orientation (963 KB) (March 2014)
- pdf Social isolation, physical and sensory impairment (951 KB) (March 2014)