As Professor Brian Lawlor retires, we recognise how his clinical and research work in old age psychiatry led to influential contributions in an emerging field: loneliness research.
Professor Lawlor recently retired from Trinity College Dublin. He had worked as a psychiatrist of old age at St James’s Hospital, where he was the Founding Director of St James’s Memory Clinic, with dementia and cognitive decline as his central clinical and research focus. With increased understanding of the aetiology of dementia, he began to focus on risk factors, and co-established the the Global Brain Health Institute at Trinity College Dublin in 2015.
Risk factors of dementia and health in older adults can include psychosocial processes. In 2008, Professor Lawlor and Dr Conor O’Luanaigh demonstrated that loneliness warranted medical attention because of its association with health outcomes in older adults.
Building upon this research with Prof Jeannette Golden and Prof Ronan Conroy, he examined loneliness prevalence across Dublin’s older population, demonstrating its role in predicting mood and wellbeing.
As the connection between loneliness and outcomes in later life became clearer, his investigations expanded. Through the TRIL project (2010-2012), he explored loneliness as a risk factor for sleep and social support. Additionally, the Dublin Healthy Ageing Study examined links between loneliness and vascular health as well as cognitive functioning – natural extensions of his core interests, providing much needed evidence to understand the intersections of loneliness and health. Professor Lawlor’s work on loneliness expanded further in the 2010s to focus on specific subgroups. In DESTRESS, working with Dr Maria Pertl, he investigated how stress and loneliness emerge among dementia caregivers. Similarly, in the RelAte project, he explored loneliness and nutrition among older adults living alone, and in Only the Lonely, he explored the potential for volunteer-led programs to reduce loneliness.
Professor Lawlor continued to explore the epidemiology of loneliness, and loneliness as a health risk factor, within the past ten years. He examined loneliness as a contributor to dementia risk in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing and developed the “social asymmetry” concept with Dr Joanna McHugh Power – contextualising loneliness alongside social isolation to predict psychological wellbeing and cognitive function. Their research included cross-cultural comparisons bettering the understanding of both Irish and international meanings of loneliness as well as exploring connections between loneliness and social withdrawal, sustained attention and depression, and hearing over time.
From 2018, Professor Lawlor served on the Irish Loneliness Taskforce, bringing his clinical and research expertise to policy development. He has collaborated with international experts on commentaries addressing public health approaches to loneliness (here, here, here, here, and in the context of COVID), helping establish loneliness as a recognized public health priority. He also helped to launch the Loneliness Taskforce Research network in 2023. One of his last contributions to research publications was on the effect of retirement on loneliness from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. He was happy to find that retirement was not associated with increased loneliness but in fact offered the opportunity for social connection!
Thank you, Professor Lawlor, for your central contributions in establishing loneliness as a research focus in Ireland and internationally. Your work across these areas will continue to influence research and practice for years to come.
Loneliness is the negative feeling arising from a discrepancy between the relationships someone has and the relationships someone wishes they had. Loneliness is a growing issue across Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. There are 38 OECD countries across the world, primarily those that are developed high-income nations.
The 2025 report Social Connections and Loneliness in OECD Countries looks at how common loneliness is, who is most affected, and how things are changing. This is the first report which compares social connections across OECD countries.
How common is loneliness in OECD Countries?
Across 25 OECD countries, about 6% of people feel lonely most or all of the time.
Around 10% have no one to rely on in times of need, and 8% have no close friends.
Population groups of concern
Older people
Older people are, on average, the loneliest age group in Europe.
8.4% of people aged 65+ in 23 European OECD countries said they felt lonely most or all of the time (2022).
31% of adults aged 65+ live alone across 30 OECD countries.
11% of older adults never meet friends in person in an average year—more than double the overall population rate of 5%.
Young people
Young people (16–24) have seen the fastest increase in levels of loneliness in recent years.
Loneliness rose from 3.3% to 4.3% (2018–2022).
They see friends in person less often and, unlike other age groups, did not increase online contact to compensate.
Men, especially young men
Men saw a larger increase in loneliness (+0.5 percentage points) than women.
Young men (16–24) experienced the largest rise in loneliness and dissatisfaction with relationships of any age or gender group.
They also had the steepest drop-in meeting friends in person.
Loneliness in Ireland
As stated, in most European countries, older adults are the loneliest group. However, Ireland is different — young people (16–24) are the loneliest group.
Ireland does not have a dedicated national loneliness strategy; the issue is addressed through wider mental health policies.
This report also includes data on social connection, including inequalities and emerging trends, as well as analysis of social infrastructure and digitalisation as drivers of disconnection. It found that unemployment and low income are correlated with poor social connection, indicating the importance of addressing the social and structural determinants of social disconnection and loneliness. The report also detailed how social infrastructure (spaces that foster interaction) can enhance connection across groups and strengthen belonging, and the risks and benefits of social media use, especially amongst young people.
Loneliness is a widespread and growing issue across OECD countries. Older adults are, on average, the loneliest age group and face higher risks of isolation due to living alone and reduced social contact. However other groups, such as young people and men, also require attention.
‘Where do we all belong?’ is a socially-engaged visual art project addressing loneliness in Co. Sligo, Ireland. We connected with director Ronan Dillon to understand a little bit more about this important project. To find out more, please visit the project website.
Please tell us about your art project ‘Where do we all belong?’ and the research component that has gone into this project.
“Where do we all belong? is a socially engaged visual art project that explores the theme of loneliness in Co. Sligo. The title of the project is inspired by the Beatles song Eleanor Rigby ‘all the lonely people, where do they all belong?’. The project is structured in three phases: research, development, and exhibition.
In the research phase, we engaged directly with communities in rural Sligo using a mobile consultation vehicle — echoing how fish vans or mobile libraries traditionally serve isolated areas. We collected anonymous notes, reflections, and anecdotes from people about their experiences with loneliness. It was a uniquely heart-warming and heart-breaking week of surveying and we were delighted about how open and interested the public were about engaging with the project. Each day we heard emotional and touching stories, for example a lady told us about a woman she knew who posted a letter to herself so the postman would visit. Another lady told us the smell of roses is helpful in alleviating feelings of loneliness . The research stage was not just data gathering but an artistic and participatory act, the conversations that this project creates is as much a part of the artwork as any physical artworks.
We are currently in the development phase, we absorbed all the feedback and began to formulate ideas about how best to create visual outcomes that are appropriate and sensitive to the information gathered These text based artworks will appear around Co. Sligo.
The process and outputs will be documented through film and photography, and ultimately presented in a public exhibition along with visual artworks at Abhainn Studio in Enniscrone. Following the exhibition we will publish a book and update the website to preserve and share the collected stories for long-term engagement. The opening will be on October 17th at Abhainn Studio in Enniscrone.”
What have you learned about loneliness from the communities that you have interviewed in Sligo?
“From our survey (236 respondents, of whom 78% live in Sligo), the most common answer for every question was “Sometimes”, suggesting loneliness is not constant but recurring. After reading all the personal notes and thoughts about loneliness it was striking how broad the demographic loneliness affects. We received messages from people living in cities and people living in isolated areas that felt lonely. Single people as well as married people. Young and old. A big learning was that people were genuinely glad to be asked if they were lonely. One man noted “I’m 66 years old and no one has ever asked me if I am lonely”
Very few respondents (2%) reported “Never” experiencing any aspect of loneliness.
Lack of Companionship: Nearly 60% of Sligo residents “sometimes” feel they lack companionship, with only 10% never experiencing this feeling.
Over half (52%) sometimes feel that people are around them but not truly “with” them, indicating a disconnect between physical and emotional presence.
Nearly half (49%) sometimes feel left out.”
What kinds of programs or initiatives do you think we need to address loneliness in Ireland? Or, specifically, in Sligo?
“The insights point towards three directions for action:
Creative, community-based initiatives: Projects like Where do we all belong? show that art can provide a safe, inclusive space for people to share experiences and see them reflected back in unique and meaningful ways. Expanding arts-led, participatory programs can foster belonging while reducing stigma around loneliness.
Intergenerational activities: As highlighted in the Sligo Age Friendly Strategy (2023–2026), older people often feel marginalised and excluded from consultation. Bringing together young and old through workshops, storytelling, and cultural events can build bridges across generations and combat isolation for both groups.
Mobile and outreach models: The research vehicle concept reflects how rural services already function in Sligo. Extending this model to social connection — through mobile arts, cultural, or wellness programs — could reach those who are unable to attend town-centre events. And we hope we can tour our exhibition with this in mind.”
