1. Developing National Measures of Loneliness
Dawn Snape, Assistant Director
Sustainability & Inequalities, ONS
@dawnsnape

2. The Challenge
“Establishing appropriate indicators of loneliness across all ages with the Office for National Statistics so these figures can be included in major research studies”
(Theresa May, January 2018)

3. First principles What do we mean by ‘loneliness’?
Why are national measures needed?
What exists now?
How will the measures be used?
From what age can we ask about loneliness?

4. Why do we need loneliness indicators?
Widely varying estimates of the ‘loneliness epidemic’
Patchy evidence
Conceptually muddy
Inconsistent measurement:
Multiple measures
Used differently
Interpreted differently
Samples may not be representative

5. How will national indicators help?
Conceptual clarity
Consistency & comparability
Extending the focus to ‘all ages’
Building evidence of ‘what works’ more effectively
Monitoring & benchmarking
Better decisions
Better evidence
Better data

6. Approach taken to national indicators
Step 1
Convene experts (academics, third sector, government analysts and policy leads)
Discuss options & consider what exists now
Step 2
Agree loneliness definition
Agree key criteria for the measure(s)
Step 3
Scope possible measures & test options
Make recommendations based on testing results

7. What progress so far?
Working definition aligned with Jo Cox Commission
Key measurement criteria agreed
Avoid stigma/ harm
Build on what exists
Brevity/ flexibility
Scoping work done
Survey & cognitive testing underway

8. ‘Loneliness’ versus ‘social isolation’
“Loneliness is a subjective, unwelcome feeling of lack or loss of companionship. It happens when we have a mismatch between the quantity and quality of social relationships that we have, and those we want.”
(Jo Cox Commission)
“Social isolation is an objective measure of the number of contacts that people have. It is about the quantity and not quality of relationships. People may choose to have a small number of contacts.”
(Care Connect)

9. Why does it matter?
“Bringing people together to increase the number of social contacts is not an end in itself – to combat loneliness, the quality of relationships needs to be addressed.”
(Care Connect)
We need to define and measure what we want to improve
Perceived quality/ expectations of relationships may vary between groups
Need to tailor interventions accordingly

10. Early work to inform policy
Characteristics/ circumstances of those most frequently lonely (aged 16+)
Qualitative research with children & young people
What Works Wellbeing reviews of interventions

11. Who is most frequently lonely?
Latest from Community Life Survey ( ):
6% of respondents felt lonely ‘often’ or ‘always’
13% of those with long term illness/ disability were lonely often or always (3% of those without)
Younger people aged and were lonely often or always (both 8%) compared to 3% of those aged and aged 75 and over.
People living in urban areas (6% often or always) compared to 3% of those in rural areas
People living in most deprived areas (8% often or always) compared to least deprived areas (4%)

12. And some other estimates of loneliness among older people
9% aged 52+ said they felt lonely ‘often’ (ELSA, )
14.5% aged scored their level of loneliness in daily life as 6 or more out of 10 (ONS, OPN)
11% of people aged felt lonely ‘often or always’, 10% for those 75+ (National Survey for Wales, )

13. Key findings on loneliness
ONS latent class analysis- most at risk of frequent loneliness:
Widowed older homeowners living alone with long-term health conditions.
Unmarried, middle-agers with long-term health conditions.
Younger renters with little trust and sense of belonging to their area.

14. What next? As well as policy announcements…
What Works Wellbeing to publish evidence review
ONS to publish recommended measures, testing results and guidelines (November)
Publication of analysis of loneliness among children and young people in collaboration with Children’s Society
ONS is progressing two new collaborative initiatives: Centre for Ageing and Demography and Centre for Inequalities

15. ONS Centre on Ageing and Demography
Inform public debate, improve public understanding, and make people take notice of the impacts of ageing and demographic change
Inform decision makers so that public policy is based on the best evidence about ageing and understand its impact.
Anticipate and respond quickly to emerging issues, policy needs, economically and socially
Make better use of data sources within ONS, across government and beyond; and develop new data sources
Improve coherence and communication of information and analysis
Form partnerships with others in GSS and beyond (academics & other third parties)

16. Centre for Inequalities
Similar aims, but with a focus on improving data, analysis and methods to understand inequalities in the UK more effectively.
Collaborative, convening centre- ONS, central government, local government, academia, 3rd sector
Aligned with EHRC approach & focusing on:
9 protected characteristics of the Equality Act (2010), across 6 key areas of life, human rights based methods
Deeper analysis of cross-cutting issues (eg, social mobility, inter-generational fairness, inclusive growth, etc)
Aim of making inequalities focus at ONS sharper, more coherent, more accessible

17. @dawnsnape
Thank you!