A survey conducted by the Faculty for Social Wellbeing revealed that 54.6% of people have a sense of loneliness, which is a significant rise from the last survey the faculty conducted in 2019, when the figure stood at 43.5%.

The survey was conducted with 572 Maltese individuals aged 11 and up. Based on the wide range of different participants, the study is representing an estimate of around 363,000 Maltese people. The results found in this survey provide an estimate of the percentage of all Maltese people from the age of 11 upwards, the study reads. As such, it said that 54.6% of the 572 respondents represents an estimate of 198,198 Maltese who feel a sense of loneliness.

Also, 4.6% of respondents are recorded as having a severe sense of loneliness, whilst it was 1.7% in 2019.

Project leader Andrew Azzopardi said that blaming these statistics on Covid-19 would be a "minimalistic and shallow argument." But even if it was to blame, it goes to show that nothing has been done to address the post-Covid trauma, he continued.

However, Azzopardi believes that the pandemic just exposed the reality of our lives which we did not want to show. He predicts that the statistics would not have been very different from 2019 to now without Covid-19.

The Faculty for Social Wellbeing conducted the survey to calculate the overall loneliness rates and identify any statistically significant association between socio-demographic variables. The questions which formed part of the survey are part of the standardised loneliness measure (the De Jong Geirveld Loneliness Scale).

The survey also revealed that 10.5% of respondents do not feel positive about their life. 20.8% of the respondents experience a general sense of emptiness. 9.6% of respondents revealed that they do not feel that there are many people they can lean on when they face problems.

When asked about close friends, 13% reported that they do not have a close friend, and this was more common among those aged over 51. 29% of participants reported missing having a really close friend and this was the most popular answer amongst 11-19-year-olds. 13.7% of respondents did not feel that they could call on their friends whenever they need them.

9.4% of participants find their circle of friends and acquaintances too limited, this percentage mainly comes from people who reported that they do not feel that they belong in their neighbourhood.

Many respondents (26.9%) revealed that they miss having people around them. This was a more popular response with men, and people aged between 20 to 30 years old, followed by those aged between 11-20 years old.

16.6% of respondents felt that there are not many people whom they can completely trust. These statistics were most common among participants who reported having low physical health.

When asked about stress, 7.4% rated their ability to cope with stress as being 'not so good' and 1.8% rated it as being poor.

They were also asked whether they often feel rejected and 6.2% of respondents said that they do and 8.1% replied with 'more or less'. A large percentage of unemployed people revealed that they often feel rejected.

This survey follows a similar survey conducted in 2019 and the plan is for the faculty to continue conducting these surveys every three years and focus on democratising the results, so that the data is easier to access. Azzopardi pointed out that although there was a lot of discussion surrounding the study they conducted in 2019, nothing has been done in terms of direct policy actions.

"Lest we forget, loneliness is costing us a great deal of money," Azzopardi said.

From the results found in the most recent survey, Azzopardi is urging the country to "walk the talk" and act upon this issue. Azzopardi listed a number of examples of actions which he says need to take place.

He called for more widespread access to talk therapy; Closer work with GPs who can indicate physical ailments that are possibly a result of loneliness and/or vice versa; Improved coordination between services like the Government's LEAP, the Church's Dijakonia and Soup Kitchens; Bringing to life a national policy and strategy on suicide ideation and prevention; Writing up a loneliness national policy and strategy; Contemplating a change in our economic model; Evaluating our lifestyles and our drive for status, money and estate as if there is no tomorrow; Making drastic changes - for example by lowering the full-time hours of work and combatting the culture of part-time and seeing exponential growth in wages; Re-thinking the concept of institutional care; Setting up of a Parliamentary Secretary for Loneliness within the ministry responsible for social policy; Setting up a Commissioner for Loneliness; And reigniting rituals.