Loneliness study finds one in five Australians rarely or never have someone to talk to

Research finds 27.6% of people say they feel lonely at least three days every week

More than one-fifth of Australians rarely or never feel they have someone to talk to or turn to for help, and more than one quarter feel lonely for at least three days every week, according to a comprehensive study of loneliness and wellbeing.

Swinburne University in Melbourne and the Australian Psychological Society are conducting the country's first research project on the impact of loneliness on physical and mental health, and released their preliminary findings on Friday.