Issuu

2026

CONNECTION IS PROTECTION How our relationships shape our health, and why supporting them earlier matters.

Acknowledgement of Country

Acknowledgement of Lived Experience

Relationships Australia NSW acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the lands and waters where we live and work. Our services span many Aboriginal Nations, and this report was created on Darug Country, where our head office is located.

This report is informed by the experiences of people who have shared what relationships and connection mean in their lives, through our national survey and through the Australian and international research on which this report draws.

We honour the ancestors who first walked these lands, and pay our respects to Elders past and present, who carry the cultural wisdom, stories, traditions and dreaming. With a commitment to Reconciliation, we acknowledge the enduring impact of past policies and practices and commit our endeavours to creating a just society and sector that celebrates the ongoing resilience and self-determination of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities. Published by Relationships Australia NSW, 2026 © Relationships Australia NSW 2026 Credits Report lead and author: Sarah Munro Survey development: Marina Pliatsikas, Sarah Munro and Karina Morgan Research partner: YouGov Design: Teegan Pack

1 | CONNECTION IS PROTECTION

We acknowledge the many people who have contributed their experiences of connection and belonging, loneliness and isolation, love and support, conflict, loss and relationship distress. We also recognise the families, friends, carers and communities whose experiences and perspectives have contributed to what we know about relationships and their place in our health and wellbeing. Behind the research in this report are people’s lives. We are grateful to those who have shared their experiences and recognise the value of lived and living experience in deepening our understanding of what helps relationships thrive, what places them under pressure, and what support people need. Suggested citation Relationships Australia NSW (2026). Connection Is Protection: How our relationships shape our health, and why supporting them earlier matters. Relationships Australia NSW, Sydney. https://www.relationshipsnsw.org.au/connection

Contents A message from our CEO

Introduction

At a glance

01 What protection looks like

02 The people who hold us up

03 What makes connection protective?

04 The skills we were never taught

05 Why do we wait?

06 Connection needs room to happen

07 Where to from here?

Conclusion

We don’t treat relationships as part of our health. Perhaps we should.

A snapshot of relationships, connection and support.

How good relationships support our health and wellbeing.

Why more than one kind of relationship matters.

Why the quality of our relationships matters.

Why healthy relationships shouldn’t be left to instinct alone.

Why relationship support so often comes late.

The pressures making it harder to stay connected.

Three areas where earlier action could make a difference.

Relationships Australia NSW |

About Relationships Australia NSW Relationships Australia NSW supports people to build and maintain safe, healthy relationships. We work with individuals, couples, families and communities across NSW, providing counselling, mediation, relationship education and other specialist services. Our work gives us a close view of the role relationships play in people’s lives, particularly when they’re under pressure. Connection Is Protection is part of our commitment to understanding relationships not only as a personal concern, but as an important part of our health and wellbeing.

About the research

The report also draws on a narrative review of 110 Australian and international sources examining intimate relationships, family, friendships and community connections, and their relationship with mental health and wellbeing.1 The review brings together evidence from longitudinal and population studies, systematic reviews and other research, including work from the Harvard Study of Adult Development and the World Health Organization. Together, the YouGov findings and wider evidence provide a contemporary picture of how Australians are experiencing their relationships, set within a much larger body of research about the role relationships play in our health and wellbeing.

The YouGov survey

Connection Is Protection brings together new national research with a wider body of Australian and international evidence on relationships, social connection, mental health and wellbeing.

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In June 2026, Relationships Australia NSW commissioned YouGov to survey 1,012 Australian adults about their relationships and mental health. The survey explored the relationships people rely on, experiences of loneliness and social isolation, relationship stress, confidence navigating difficult conversations, help-seeking and the pressures that can make it harder to stay connected.

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1,012 Australian adults aged 18+ Online survey conducted 12–20 June 2026 Nationally representative sample Results weighted by age, gender and region to the latest ABS population estimates Significant differences tested at the 95% confidence level Ethical approval: Iris Ethics Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC), reference S00146.

Babister, A., Althor, G. & Irving, M. (2026). The Scaffolding of Mental Health: How Relationships Hold Australians Up. A narrative literature review. Relationships Australia NSW.

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Message from our CEO

For more than 75 years, Relationships Australia NSW has worked alongside people through some of the most important relationships in their lives. We see relationships at their strongest, and when they are under enormous pressure. We see the difference it can make to have people you trust and can turn to, and what can happen when conflict, disconnection or distress begin to affect other parts of life.

This report looks more closely at the place relationships occupy in our lives and in our health. It draws on decades of research alongside new findings about Australians’ experiences today. I hope it encourages a broader conversation about how we look after our relationships, not only when something goes wrong, but throughout our lives.

Yet relationships are still often treated as something private, something we should simply know how to manage. We tend to pay attention when something has gone badly wrong, rather than thinking about what helps people build and sustain healthy relationships throughout their lives. I think we need to change that. Relationships will always have difficult periods. They change as our lives change, and not every challenge requires professional support. But we can do much more to give people the skills, information and support to navigate those challenges, and to make it easier to seek help before reaching crisis point. We also need to recognise that connection isn’t equally easy for everyone. Time, money, work, caring responsibilities, mental health and the communities we live in can all shape our ability to maintain the relationships that matter to us. Not every relationship is protective. Safety must always come first. Relationships characterised by coercion, abuse or harm require a very different response.

Elisabeth Shaw Elisabeth Shaw

Chief Executive Officer Relationships Australia NSW

Relationships Australia NSW |

Our relationships shape how we live, how we cope and how well we are. 5 | CONNECTION IS PROTECTION

Relationships Australia NSW |

We don’t treat relationships as part of our health. Perhaps we should. For more than 80 years, the Harvard Study of Adult Development has followed people through their lives, examining their health, work, families and relationships. Its most enduring finding is also one of its simplest.2

Good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Period.” ROBERT WALDINGER, DIRECTOR, HARVARD STUDY OF ADULT DEVELOPMENT

The Harvard study has found that close, satisfying relationships are associated with physical health, longevity and healthier ageing. Satisfaction with relationships at age 50 was a better predictor of physical health later in life than cholesterol levels, while strong social support has also been associated with less cognitive decline. The evidence extends well beyond Harvard. A major analysis of 148 studies involving more than 300,000 people found that stronger social relationships were associated with a 50 per cent greater likelihood of survival over the study periods.3 More recently, the World Health Organization has called for social connection to be recognised as a public health priority, reflecting growing evidence linking it with mental and physical health across the life course.4

Yet relationships still sit largely outside the way we think about looking after our health. We’re encouraged to exercise, eat well, get enough sleep and pay attention to our mental health. Far less attention is paid to the relationships around us, or to what helps us build and sustain them. There are signs this is beginning to shift. The Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University includes close social relationships among its core domains of human flourishing, alongside mental and physical health, happiness and life satisfaction, meaning and purpose, and financial and material stability.5 That matters because the consequences can be serious. Relationship distress and disconnection can affect our mental and physical health, while loneliness and social isolation are increasingly recognised as public health concerns. At the most harmful end of the spectrum, relationships can also be places of coercion, abuse and violence, which require very different, specialist responses. These experiences should not be conflated. But they point to a broader question about prevention. We invest considerable effort in responding when people are already distressed, isolated, unsafe or in crisis. What would it look like to pay more attention further upstream, to the skills, support and conditions that help people build and sustain safe, healthy relationships throughout their lives? Connection Is Protection explores this through new national research and wider evidence on relationships, social connection and health.

2 Harvard Study of Adult Development, Harvard Medical School; Waldinger, R.J. & Schulz, M.S. (2023). The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness. Simon & Schuster. 3 Holt-Lunstad, J., Smith, T.B. & Layton, J.B. (2010). “Social Relationships and Mortality Risk: A Meta-analytic Review.” PLoS Medicine, 7(7), e1000316.. 4 World Health Organization (2025). From loneliness to social connection: charting a path to healthier societies. Report of the WHO Commission on Social Connection. 5 Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University. Our Flourishing Measure. Harvard University.

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Throughout this report, relationships means more than couples. Partners, family and kin, friends and wider networks and communities all play different roles in our lives. Simply having relationships is not enough. Their quality matters. Our national survey shows how Australians experience this in their own lives. When relationships are going well, 62 per cent of Australians say they feel less stressed or anxious, 61 per cent feel emotionally supported and 57 per cent feel more confident. But many of us reach adulthood with little preparation for navigating relationships when they become difficult.

Only

1 in 3

Australians say they were taught how to handle difficult conversations in relationships while growing up.

Support often comes later too. Just nine per cent seek help when a relationship first begins to feel strained, while 29 per cent don’t seek help at all. The findings suggest we leave a great deal for people to work out for themselves: how to communicate when things are difficult, navigate conflict and repair, and maintain connection when life gets in the way.

If good relationships can help protect our health and wellbeing, why do we leave so much of what it takes to build and sustain them to chance? Relationships Australia NSW |

At a glance What Australians told us about their relationships, connection and getting help.

RELATIONSHIPS SUPPORT OUR WELLBEING

62%

feel less stressed or anxious when their relationships are going well

61%

feel emotionally supported

57%

feel more confident

MANY AUSTRALIANS W TAUGHT KEY RELATION

Only

1 in 3

Australians were taught conversations in relation

ONE IN SIX AUSTRALIANS EXPERIENCED FREQUENT LONELINESS

EVERYDAY PRESSURES CONNECTION HARDER

17%

42%

say tiredness or low energy made it harder to feel connected

felt lonely often or very often in the past month

TALKING TO A FRIEND IS RATED AS HELPFUL Among those who had used each type of support:

75%

rated talking to a friend as helpful

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37%

rated online forums and peer support groups as helpful

point to cost of l pressure

WEREN’T NSHIP SKILLS

WE TEND TO SEEK SUPPORT LATE

Just

29% don’t seek help at all

t how to handle difficult nships growing up

seek help when a relationship first begins to feel strained

S MAKE R

PEOPLE ARE STILL OUR MAIN SOURCE OF SUPPORT When relationship stress affects their mental health:

o living es

37%

to feeling down or anxious

61%

turn to a partner or family member

58%

turn to a friend

THERE IS INTEREST IN EARLIER SUPPORT If accessible and affordable, Australians say they would consider:

39%

preventative couples counselling

34%

a relationship health check

33%

GP-recommended relationship support

Relationships Australia NSW |

What protection looks like

Relationships are not simply something that make life better. Across our lives, strong relationships can provide belonging, security and emotional support, help us cope with stress, and contribute to our long-term mental and physical health.

many other difficulties we encounter over a lifetime. But having people we trust and can rely on can help us cope with stress, regulate difficult emotions and draw on practical support when we need it.

The evidence for this has grown over decades. Research has consistently linked stronger social relationships with better health and longevity, while close relationships can provide emotional and practical support when people are dealing with stress, illness or other difficult periods in their lives.1

That support is often close at hand. When relationship stress affects their mental health, 61 per cent of Australians say they turn to a partner or family member and 58 per cent to a friend. By comparison, 23 per cent turn to a counsellor or psychologist and 23 per cent to a GP in person.

Our national survey shows what some of those benefits look like in everyday life. When their relationships are going well, 62 per cent of Australians say they feel less stressed or anxious, 61 per cent feel emotionally supported and 57 per cent feel more confident. More than half also say they feel more connected to others (54 per cent) and safe to be honest and be themselves (52 per cent). Good relationships do not make us immune to grief, illness, financial pressure, anxiety or the 11 | CONNECTION IS PROTECTION

The figures show how much we rely on the people around us when life becomes difficult. That support matters. But far fewer Australians say they turn to a counsellor, psychologist or GP than to a partner, family member or friend. There is an opportunity to think differently about where professional support fits, not only when relationships are in serious difficulty, but earlier, as part of helping people build and maintain healthy relationships.

When relationships are going well 62% feel less stressed or anxious 61% feel emotionally supported 57% feel more confident 54% feel more connected to others 52% feel safe to be honest and be themselves Where Australians turn for support 61% partner or family 58% friend 23% counsellor or psychologist 23% GP in person *Respondents could select more than one response.

Relationships Australia NSW |

The people who hold us up

The relationships that matter to us are not all the same, and neither are the roles they play in our lives. Partners, family, friends, neighbours and wider communities can each provide different forms of connection and support. Some relationships carry particular weight. When Australians were asked to nominate the one relationship that had the biggest impact on their mental health over the previous year, 34 per cent chose their spouse or partner. Children and parents were each nominated by 12 per cent, and close friends by 11 per cent. The prominence of partners is consistent with wider research showing that the quality of intimate relationships is closely linked with mental health and wellbeing.6 Relationships Australia’s 2024 Relationship Indicators research also found that partners were most often identified as people’s closest relationship.7 But 38 per cent of Australians in our survey were not currently in a relationship, and partners are only one part of the wider network of relationships around us.

The relationships Australians experience positively 73% close friends 71% partner or spouse 65% children 59% community networks

When we asked about the impact of different relationships, friendship stood out. Among Australians who had each type of relationship, 73 per cent said their close friendships had a positive impact on their mental health, slightly ahead of partners and spouses at 71 per cent. Friends may also be among the people we find easiest to talk to. In our survey, Australians reported greater confidence starting a difficult conversation with a close friend than with other people in their lives. Friendships can also provide an important source of support when intimate relationships are under strain.8 People also described the importance of relationships we might easily overlook, like neighbours and the people they interacted with in the broader community. Against that broader picture, the changing state of friendship in Australia is worth paying attention to. Data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey shows that agreement with the statement “I seem to have a lot of friends” declined between 2010 and 2023, with the fall becoming more pronounced during and after the COVID-19 period. The same research found that having fewer perceived friendships was associated with greater loneliness, lower social participation and poorer mental health.9 There is no single relationship that provides everything we need. The people who support us can change as our lives change, but having a network of people we trust, whether partners, family, friends, neighbours or community, gives us more places to turn.

*Respondents could select more than one response.

Whisman, M.A., Sbarra, D.A. & Beach, S.R.H. (2021). ‘Intimate Relationships and Depression: Searching for Causation in the Sea of Association.’ Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 17, 233–258. 7 Relationships Australia (2024). Relationship Indicators 2024: National Survey of the State of Relationships in Australia. 8 Kaufman, V. et al. (2022). “Unique Ways in Which the Quality of Friendships Matter for Life Satisfaction.” Journal of Happiness Studies, 23(6), 2563–2580. 9 Botha, F. et al. (2025). Fewer friends, more time stress: the essential charts from this year’s HILDA survey. The Conversation. 6

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He has been a great comfort to me and makes me feel less alone. Most weekends during the AFL season we watch the footy together and talk about the world’s problems. This makes me feel better.” SURVEY PARTICIPANT, TALKING ABOUT HIS NEIGHBOUR Relationships Australia NSW |

What good relationships give us Australians told us about the people and relationships that have had the greatest positive impact on their mental health.

My youngest daughter affirms me, shares everything with me, makes me laugh and is so down-to-earth. She enriches my life and supports me when I’m struggling.”

“My partner and my children keep me grounded whenever I’m having a bad day. They make all my worry disappear.” FAMILY

“My mum makes everything better. Her ability to listen and just offer positive support. Her unconditional love and being there has meant the world to me.”

CHILD

MOTHER

“My younger brother is my best friend and we support each other. He makes me feel happy, safe, and cared for.”

“I live in a residential high rise. My husband passed away unexpectedly and the community here were marvellous. Care, a sense of belonging and always someone there for a chat.”

SIBLING

NEIGHBOURS

Responses to Relationships Australia NSW’s 2026 national YouGov survey. Responses have been lightly edited for readability and de-identified where necessary. 15 | CONNECTION IS PROTECTION

The relationship with my dad continues to be a calming influence. I know he’s ageing, and that makes me want to spend more quality time with him. He doesn’t judge; he simply provides unconditional love.” FATHER

“The biggest impact on my mental health has been the international students. They gave me purpose after I retired. I enjoyed cooking for them and introducing them to Australian culture.” COMMUNITY MEMBER

“My wife lights up my life. She makes life worth it.” PARTNER

Relationships Australia NSW |

Connection alone isn’t protective. The quality of our relationships matters. 17 | CONNECTION IS PROTECTION

What makes connection protective?

Relationships can affect our mental health in very different ways. On the positive side, emotional support and care was the most common reason Australians gave for why a relationship had affected them, nominated by 26 per cent. In contrast, 14 per cent said a relationship had caused stress or negatively affected their mental health, with some also identifying abusive, controlling or toxic behaviour, or conflict and tension.

26%

said emotional support and care was why a relationship had affected their mental health Respondents were asked what made the relationship they nominated have the biggest impact on their mental health.

Good relationships are not necessarily free of disagreement or difficult periods. What matters is how people work through them, whether they can repair after difficult moments and whether there is an underlying sense of trust, support and security.1 The quality of our relationships shapes our wellbeing. Feeling able to rely on and seek support from the people close to us can help us navigate stress, while persistent conflict, criticism or instability can become sources of stress themselves.1

The majority of Australians said that relationship stress affected their wellbeing, including their mood (81%), stress levels (78%), energy (74%) and sleep (71%). Around one in four reported that this impact was substantial.

When relationships are under strain, we feel it elsewhere 81% mood or 78% stress anxiety or 74% energy fatigue

71% sleep Participants who reported they were affected to some degree (a little through to a great deal) over the past 12 months.

Researchers have identified several possible ways this may happen. Supportive relationships can help buffer stress, while ongoing relationship distress or disconnection can affect sleep and the body’s stress response. Relationships can also provide practical support, from noticing when something is wrong to encouraging us to seek medical help.1 What makes connection protective, then, is not simply having people around us. It is the quality of those relationships, and whether we can rely on them when life becomes difficult.

What matters is not the absence of conflict, but whether we can still count on each other. Relationships Australia NSW |

Responses to Relationships Australia NSW’s 2026 national YouGov survey. Responses have been lightly edited for readability and de-identified where necessary. 19 | CONNECTION IS PROTECTION

When relationships affect our wellbeing Australians described how relationship strain, conflict and disconnection can affect their mental health and wellbeing.

“My husband has dementia. The worry and stress of being his carer has made me anxious and depressed.” HUSBAND

“I split from my partner of 25 years and it’s been highly stressful. Sleep deprivation, loss of appetite, financial burden.” EX-PARTNER

Her small acts of care and steady presence make me feel safe and understood. But when she dismisses my feelings or compares my struggles to hers, it leaves me anxious and replaying her words.” MOTHER

My marriage and not being supported. Being lonely, isolated and having no one to talk to.”

“Friends who have dropped off the radar. Missing them and feeling unliked.” FRIENDS

SPOUSE

“I have them on my mind all the time just hoping that we can all get together again like we used to. I feel isolated from them as I have no other family.”

“I was severely stressed for months, and lost sleep, ate more than I used to and lost my will to train at the gym. I felt I was losing myself after the conflict at work.”

CHILDREN

COLLEAGUE

Relationships Australia NSW |

The skills we were never taught

Relationships play a large part in our health and wellbeing, yet most of us get little preparation for navigating them. We’re taught how to read and write. We learn skills for work and everyday life. But when it comes to our closest relationships, we’re often left to work out for ourselves how to raise a difficult issue, listen when we disagree, say what we need, apologise and repair after conflict. These are all part of relationship literacy: the skills and knowledge that help us communicate, navigate conflict and maintain healthy relationships. Yet much of this is left to experience. Our research suggests many Australians reach adulthood without having been taught some of these skills. Only one in three Australians say they were taught how to handle difficult conversations growing up. Two in five Australians say they were not taught these skills, while around one in four are neutral. The gap is largest among Gen X: 53 per cent say they were not taught how to handle difficult conversations growing up, compared with 40 per cent of Baby Boomers, 36 per cent of Millennials and 32 per cent of Gen Z. There is also an association between being taught these skills and whether people report their relationships as having a positive or negative impact on their mental health. Among Australians who said a relationship had positively affected their mental health, 39 per cent said they had been taught how to handle difficult

conversations growing up. Among those who reported a negative impact, the figure fell to 22 per cent.

39%

of people who reported a positive impact from their relationships said they were taught how to handle difficult conversations growing up.

22%

of those who reported a negative impact said the same.

The survey can’t tell us whether learning these skills caused the difference. Relationships are shaped by many factors and by the circumstances in which people live. But the skills that help people navigate relationships can be learned and strengthened. Relationship education focuses on areas such as communication and conflict management, and research has found that these programs can improve relationship satisfaction.10 The skills we need also change over a lifetime. We become partners, parents and carers. Families separate and reform. Illness, money, work, children, ageing and loss can place different pressures on our relationships.

Spencer, C.M. & Anderson, J.R. (2021). “Online relationship education programs improve individual and relationship functioning: A meta-analytic review.” Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 47(2), 485–500.

21 | CONNECTION IS PROTECTION

Only

1 in 3

Australians say they were taught how to handle difficult conversations in relationships while growing up. Relationships Australia NSW |

Building relationship literacy shouldn’t wait until a relationship is in difficulty. 23 | CONNECTION IS PROTECTION

Relationships Australia NSW |

Why do we wait?

When a relationship is struggling, seeking help is rarely the first response. Just nine per cent of Australians say they typically seek help when a relationship first begins to feel strained. Others wait until conflict becomes regular (17 per cent), the difficulty begins affecting their mental health (24 per cent), or the relationship feels close to breaking down (13 per cent). Almost three in ten (29 per cent) say they do not seek help at all. The pattern differs between men and women. Men are more likely to say they don’t seek help at all (31 per cent compared with 26 per cent of women), while women are more likely to seek help once relationship difficulties are affecting their mental health (28 per cent compared with 20 per cent of men).

Relationships Australia’s 2024 Relationship Indicators research found a similar pattern, with almost half (48 per cent) of respondents saying they managed relationship difficulties on their own rather than seeking professional support.7 There are many reasons people may not seek support early. A difficult period does not necessarily mean something is seriously wrong, and people may hope things will improve on their own. Asking for help can also feel exposing, particularly when it means talking about something deeply personal. Practical barriers can play a part too. In our survey, Australians identified faster access, afterhours availability and lower cost among the reasons they might use digital support before or instead of speaking to someone in person.

When Australians seek help with their relationships 9% when things first feel strained 17% when conflict becomes regular 24% when it affects their mental health 13% when the relationship is close to breaking down 29% don’t seek help Respondents were asked when they typically seek help or support when experiencing relationship difficulties 25 | CONNECTION IS PROTECTION

Others said they were not ready to speak to another person, valued privacy or anonymity, or were concerned about judgement or shame. Our research also suggests Australians are open to a different role for relationship support. If options were accessible and affordable, 39 per cent said they would consider couples counselling as a preventative check-in, 34 per cent a relationship health check and 33 per cent relationship support recommended by their GP.

Before things reach crisis couples 39% preventative counselling

34% a relationship health check 33% GP-recommended relationship support People described the supports they’d use if accessible and affordable.

There is evidence that relationship-focused interventions can make a difference. Reviews of couple and family therapy have found benefits for a range of mental health and relationship difficulties, while other therapeutic and educational approaches that strengthen support and reduce conflict can also improve wellbeing.11 Preventative approaches are familiar in other areas of health. We have screenings before symptoms become serious, check-ups when

nothing appears to be wrong and advice about reducing risk. Relationship support, by contrast, is still more commonly associated with something going wrong. There are opportunities to bring that earlier support into the broader mental health system. Medicare Mental Health Centres in Australia bring different forms of mental health, social and emotional wellbeing support together, with free access and no referral or Mental Health Treatment Plan required. Relationships Australia NSW is now providing relationship support within several of these Centres, bringing relationship expertise into a setting where people are already seeking support for their mental health. Not every difficult period in a relationship needs professional support. Stress, disagreement and change are part of relationships, and working through difficult periods together can itself be a sign of a strong relationship. But when difficulties persist, become harder to talk about or begin to affect people’s wellbeing, earlier support can offer another perspective, build skills and help people work through problems before they grow.

Relationship support should not have to wait until someone’s mental health is suffering or a relationship is close to breaking down.

11 Carr, A. (2025). “Couple therapy and systemic interventions for adult-focused problems: The evidence base.” Journal of Family Therapy, 47(1), e12481.

Relationships Australia NSW |

Connection needs room to happen

Staying connected takes time and energy, and our research suggests both can be in short supply. Tiredness or low energy was the most common thing Australians said had made it harder to feel connected over the previous year, nominated by 42 per cent. Cost-of-living pressures followed at 39 per cent, while 37 per cent pointed to feeling down, anxious or not in the right headspace. One in four (25 per cent) said feeling lonely or having no one to reach out to had itself made connection harder. These pressures are not felt equally. Women were more likely than men to report at least one factor making it harder to feel connected over the previous year (85 per cent compared with 76 per cent).

Relationships have to fit around work, caring responsibilities, financial pressures and our own mental health. Even when they matter deeply to us, there can be little time or energy left for them. We can take it for granted that they will survive, even if neglected. Many Australians are already experiencing a lack of connection. Almost three in four had felt lonely at some point in the previous month. Seventeen per cent felt lonely often or very often. Younger Australians stood out in our research. Eighty-two per cent of Gen Z had experienced loneliness at some point in the previous month, compared with 79 per cent of Millennials, 68 per cent of Gen X and 67 per cent of Baby Boomers.

What gets in the way of connection? 42% 39% 37%

tiredness or low energy

cost of living pressures feeling down, anxious or not in the right headspace

25% feeling lonely or having no one to reach out to 23% long work hours or being too busy 22%

caring responsibilities

Respondents could select more than one response.

Ending Loneliness Together (2023). State of the Nation Report: Social Connection in Australia 2023. Ending Loneliness Together.

27 | CONNECTION IS PROTECTION

Loneliness is more common than we think Loneliness

17%

often or very often

Social isolation

16%

73% experienced it at some point in the past month

often or very often

72% experienced it at some point in the past month

‘At some point’ includes rarely, sometimes, often or very often.

Are our phones getting in the way?

18%

of Australians say phones or devices get in the way of meaningful conversations often or very often.

28% Gen Z 24% Millennials 14% Gen X 10% Baby Boomers

This age difference is consistent with other recent Australian research, which has also found younger people carrying a greater burden of loneliness and social disconnection.12 Technology matters too, although it was not the leading barrier in our survey. Feeling overwhelmed by phones, messages or social media was less commonly identified than tiredness, cost of living pressures or not being in the right headspace. Even so, 18 per cent of Australians said phones or devices got in the way of meaningful conversations often or very often, rising to 28 per cent among Gen Z. It can be tempting to think staying connected is simply a matter of individual effort: call a friend, join a group or put down the phone. But our ability to stay connected is also shaped by the lives we lead.

The World Health Organization’s work on social connection points to the wider conditions in which people live, work and spend their time.4 Our findings make those pressures visible too. Staying connected is harder when people are exhausted, working long hours, caring for others, worried about money or struggling with their mental health.

Encouraging people to reach out is worthwhile, but workplaces, communities, services and the places where we live can also create more, or fewer, opportunities for relationships to grow.

Relationships Australia NSW |

Connection needs more than good intentions. It needs time, energy and room in our lives.

29 | CONNECTION IS PROTECTION

Relationships Australia NSW |

Where to from here?

If relationships are part of what keeps us well, they deserve more attention before something goes wrong. That starts with the relationships in our own lives, but it also means making support available earlier and thinking about the conditions that make connection easier or harder.

01 TAKE SMALL STEPS TOWARDS CONNECTION

02 SUPPORT RELATIONSHIPS EARLIER

Good relationships need attention. That can be difficult when people are tired, busy, caring for others or dealing with pressures of their own.

Only nine per cent of Australians say they seek help when a relationship first begins to feel strained. Almost three in ten say they don’t seek help at all.

Looking after our relationships doesn’t always require a major change. It can mean checking in with someone, making time to see a friend, having a conversation we have been putting off or noticing when someone around us might need us.

Not every difficult period needs professional support. But we shouldn’t have to wait until someone’s mental health is suffering or a relationship is close to breaking down before asking for help.

These things can seem small, but the wider evidence tells us that the quality of our relationships is closely connected to our mental and physical health. Looking after our relationships is part of looking after our health.

31 | CONNECTION IS PROTECTION

Getting support earlier can help people understand what’s happening, approach difficult conversations differently and find ways through problems that have become hard to resolve on their own. Seeking help doesn’t mean a relationship has failed. Sometimes it means deciding it’s worth looking after.

03 PUT RELATIONSHIPS ON THE PREVENTION AGENDA We invest heavily in mental health and wellbeing, but much of our response begins once people are already struggling. If relationships can help protect our health, there is a case for looking earlier. Our research suggests Australians are open to doing that. If support were accessible and affordable, 39 per cent would consider couples counselling as a preventative check-in, 34 per cent a relationship health check and 33 per cent relationship support recommended by their GP.

relationship support be better integrated into health and mental health services? What would make earlier support easier to access, wherever people live? And what else could government, communities and services do to help people build and sustain the relationships that support them throughout their lives? We don’t pretend there is one answer. But the evidence gives us good reason to start asking the questions and finding the answers together.

We want to work with governments to explore what a more preventative approach could look like. How could we help people build the skills to care for their relationships? How could

Relationships Australia NSW |

Conclusion

Most of us know our relationships matter. We feel it when they’re going well, and we feel it when they’re not. What we’re less likely to think about is the role they play in our health.

also of distress and harm. Not everyone has people they can rely on, and staying connected can be difficult when the rest of life gets in the way.

The evidence in this report makes a strong case for paying more attention to that connection. The quality of our relationships is closely linked to our mental and physical health. Good relationships can help us manage stress, feel supported and secure, and get through difficult periods. Over the longer term, social connection is also associated with better physical health and longer life.

What it does mean is that our relationships deserve more of our attention.

None of this means relationships are simple. They can be a source of enormous support, but

We invest in many of the things that help us stay well. We learn about nutrition and exercise. We have check-ups and screenings. We talk about sleep, stress and mental health.

Relationships belong in that conversation too.

CONNECTION IS PROTECTION. 33 | CONNECTION IS PROTECTION

Relationships Australia NSW |

For more information about this research, contact: communications@ransw.org.au relationshipsnsw.org.au/connection