The Centre for Loneliness Studiesand the Campaign to End Loneliness will host a series of public events from Monday 10 June to Friday 14 June to raise awareness about loneliness.
Activities include games, artwork and interacting with a robot designed to reduce social isolation as well as an opportunity to meet and chat with academics who are carrying out research into loneliness.
Loneliness is a major issue in modern society. According to Age UK, 1.4 million older people in the UK are often lonely. Chronic loneliness has been linked to poor mental and physical health.
One of the current research projects being led by Sheffield Hallam University is the use of virtual reality to reduce feelings of loneliness and improve mental health in older adults.
The Planet Wellbeing project is a partnership with Age UK Sheffield, Innerva and Pixelmill Digital which allows people to use physical movement to connect with others and enjoy fun and engaging activities, such as dancing and playing games, in a virtual environment.
Professor Andrea Wigfield, Director of the Centre for Loneliness Studies, said: “At some point in life, loneliness affects everyone. It can be triggered by unusual situations and events like children leaving home, losing a loved one, divorce, or retirement but it can also occur seemingly without reason.
“We want to remove the stigma of loneliness and get people talking about it. These events will hopefully bring people together to open up about loneliness but also find out about the really exciting research we’re undertaking to help address this huge societal issue.”
Professor Wigfield has recently published a new book, Loneliness for Dummies, which aims to explain why people feel lonely, signs to look out for and actions people can take to reduce feelings of loneliness.
The events will be held every day next week from 10am to midday in the University’s Owen Building.
