Loneliness affects everyone at different times. Although it is well documented that men are less likely than women to talk about feelings and seek help, our research found that men’s work arrangements can contribute significantly to this.
We found that loneliness was highest among men in their 40s, but it also occurred at other times, often depending on how they viewed their career and income.
This suggests that the workplace and societal expectations around work are important in men’s experience of loneliness.
Measuring loneliness
Our findings are based on analysis of annual data from 12,117 Australian men aged 15 to 98 years, collected over 19 years for the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey.
We measured loneliness by examining men’s responses to a question asking whether they agreed with the statement: “I often feel very lonely.” Answers ranged from one (strongly disagree) to seven (strongly agree).
We then used statistical techniques to make sure we were measuring loneliness, and not other constructs such as social isolation.
We also used methods that captured the extent to which men’s loneliness was due to their social relationships (for example, their romantic relationships or friendships), and the extent to which it was due to other aspects of their lives, such as their living conditions or their work arrangements.
Work role
Since loneliness is a social problem, we were not surprised to find that problems in men’s social relationships, particularly their romantic relationships, friendships, and family relationships, were associated with loneliness. However, we were surprised to find that work also played a significant role.
Men who were unemployed or in insecure jobs experienced more loneliness than those with stable employment. Losing a job can affect a person’s identity and limit the social contacts provided by work. Unemployment also limits income, making it harder to afford social activities. Insecure “gig” work, which often involves being unpredictable and long hours alone, disrupts work-life balance and can leave people isolated.
Our research shows that social expectations also contribute to loneliness for some men. We measured the extent to which men agreed with the statement: “It’s not good for the relationship if the woman earns more than the man”.
Men, especially middle-aged men, who believed they should be the primary breadwinner in the household were more likely to be lonely than those who did not hold this belief.
This suggests that traditional attitudes about work within the context of heterosexual relationships may be detrimental to social relationships.
This once mainstream approach not only harms relationships, it is also unrealistic, as it is becoming increasingly difficult for many families to survive on a single income.
Improving men’s personal relationships is the only way to reduce men’s loneliness. The workplace and social pressures around work must also be adapted.
Changing social norms
Public stereotypes that consider men to be solely responsible for the household income need to change. Public awareness and education campaigns can help change gender norms and stereotypes by building knowledge and awareness, and thus reduce loneliness.
Helping men achieve a better work-life balance could be helpful for everyone. However, such change requires major cultural shifts, which take time. One short-term solution, especially for men of retirement age, is volunteering.
Volunteering provides a sense of purpose and the opportunity to socialise, although recent evidence suggests that volunteering has not yet reached pre-COVID levels.
How governments can help
Increasing informality at the workplace and the growth of the gig economy provide flexibility but also reduce job security. Our research shows that job insecurity or unemployment rates contribute to men’s loneliness.
The government’s amendment to the Fair Work Act will help reduce job insecurity, as it will allow the Fair Work Commission to set reasonable minimum standards, including access to dispute resolution for “employee-like” workers such as Uber drivers who work via digital platforms.
Governments can also support activities of interest to men by ensuring regular funding for programmes such as men’s sheds or opportunities to work with animals.
Social prescribing – where a GP or other health worker connects patients with resources and activities to improve health and reduce loneliness – can also engage men in roles that best suit their needs and interests.
How employers can help
Thankfully, workplaces can do a lot to reduce loneliness. A recent review suggests that employers can:
1) Create opportunities for social interaction, for example, dedicate time to non-work activities, such as designing communal areas in offices to promote interaction.
2) Support flexible and remote, potentially isolated workers by fostering workplace connections using virtual spaces such as online dinners, while also encouraging work-life balance.
3) Promote a people-centered culture by building autonomy among employees, tolerating mistakes, and providing opportunities for mentorship.
The relationship between managers and workers is particularly important for well-being, as managers can shape working conditions, model positive behaviour and improve employees’ knowledge, but very few interventions target this area.
(Author: Marley Bower, Research Fellow, Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney; Ferdie Botha, Senior Research Fellow, The University of Melbourne, and Mark Deady, Senior Research Fellow, Black Dog Institute, UNSW Sydney)
(This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
