Evidence that loneliness can be reduced by a whole-of-community intervention to increase neighbourhood identification

Abstract

Rationale: Social identification with the people in one's neighbourhood has a wide variety of benefits for individual and community health and wellbeing. In particular, previous research shows that residents' social identification with their neighbourhood is protective of mental health. However, researchers are only just beginning to design and evaluate interventions that directly target social identification on health grounds.

Objective: This longitudinal study evaluated a whole-of-community intervention at scale (Neighbour Day, 2019), in which Australian residents were encouraged to build social connections in their local community. Neighbour Day is a campaign that seeks to raise public awareness of the importance of connecting with neighbours and had a reach of approximately 300,000 people in 2019.

Methods: Participants were 437 hosts of neighbourhood events held across 276 diverse suburbs across Australia. Participants were surveyed at three-time points; before and after Neighbour Day, as well as at six-month follow up.

Results: Hosting a Neighbour Day event led to a significant increase in neighbourhood social identification, which was sustained six months later. This increase in social identification predicted increased social cohesion, reduced loneliness and improved wellbeing.

Conclusions: This study provides evidence that neighbourhood identification is an effective target mechanism to curb loneliness and social fragmentation in the community. Implications are discussed with a focus on how social identity-building interventions can be effectively implemented in community settings to benefit public health.

Keywords: Loneliness; Mental health; Place identity; Social connectedness; social cohesion; social identity; well-being.