Faculty webinar - Understanding loneliness and social isolation with Dr Deborah Morgan

We are experiencing a crisis of disconnection characterised by loneliness and social isolation, with a third of the global population being lonely. 

In the UK, the prevalence of chronic loneliness has increased by 500,000 since the first year of the pandemic.

They are increasingly issues of concern for policymakers, due to the negative impact on health, wellbeing, and the productivity of nations. Yet, they are constructs that are frequently conflated. So, what are loneliness and social isolation? How do they differ? And why is it important they don’t get conflated?

 This webinar will explore:

• The difference between loneliness and social isolation, and why this distinction is important for research.
• How loneliness and social isolation are measured.
• Who is at risk, of loneliness and social isolation?
• The barriers to researching loneliness and social isolation.
• Why loneliness and social isolation are more than just individual issues.

Dr Deborah Morgan

Deborah is a senior research officer at the Centre for Ageing and Dementia Research and the Research Manager for ENRICH Cymru. Deborah’s research focuses on loneliness and social isolation. She is interested in loneliness across the life course, loneliness transitions, prevention and intervention.  

In addition to her work on loneliness and social isolation, Deborah has an interest in health and social inequalities, ageing with a disability and chronic illness, and social and digital exclusion 

Deborah sits on various internal and external committees, including the Welsh Government Loneliness and Isolation Strategy Board and the Cross-Party Intergenerational Solidarity Group. Deborah is an executive committee member of the British Society of Gerontology. 

Submit your question for Deborah to answer during the webinar.