![University of Wollongong Professor Peter Kelly, who will run a study to help people recovering from addiction to beat loneliness. Picture supplied University of Wollongong Professor Peter Kelly, who will run a study to help people recovering from addiction to beat loneliness. Picture supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/HcD9H4nNcktxiWcmkEEpQD/6a38e36b-edd3-4fa2-8354-214b732c1442.png/r0_54_2436_1624_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Loneliness has been increasing for almost all population groups in recent years, with the issue - which can affect physical and mental health - now described as an "epidemic" among Australians.
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But, according to University of Wollongong psychology professor Peter Kelly, loneliness can be even more acute for those recovering from drug and alcohol addiction.
"Rates of loneliness are almost seven times higher for people who are in recovery from alcohol and other substance use," Prof Kelly said.
"When people are in active addiction, they're spending time with people who also using other drugs and substances and as people are moving into recovery, they're starting to move away from those groups and start thinking about, more positive relationships in their lives.
"They might be reconnecting with family, reconnecting with old friends and it's really important for people's longer term recovery that they've got those relationships and positive influences and connections in their life."
To help stop the social isolation that can come with leaving behind an addiction, Professor Kelly and his team at UOW have been awarded $1.3 million from the National Health and Medical Research Council.
Working with drug and alcohol services in the Illawarra and other regions across Australia, they will run a four-year randomised controlled trial of a loneliness intervention, which takes the form of a six-session group program.
"It's focused on helping participants of the program to understand what what loneliness is, and more importantly what connection is," Prof Kelly said.
"We help them to identify the key people and the key resources in their life, and help them to think through how they can better engage and form more meaningful connections people."
The UOW funding is one of four grant awarded nationally by the NHMRC, as part of a $5.5 million push to identify and support people with chronic disease who are experiencing loneliness and social isolation.
The national health and medical research funding body has recognised that loneliness can be harmful to both mental and physical health, with lonely people having a higher risk of developing a chronic health condition or worsening health.
Prof Kelly said it was hoped his study would result in people who are recovering from drug and alcohol addition being able to form more meaningful relationships.
"We're hoping that people's subjective experience of loneliness decreases, that people feel more connected and we're really hopeful that people will do better in their recovery - that they'll have lower substance use and have improvements in their mental health as well," he said.
- Alcohol and Other Drugs Information Service (ADIS) telephone services 1800 250 015
- Lifeline on 13 11 14
- Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636
- ReachOut at au.reachout.com