Connecting Health Communities in St Helens

Working together to reduce social isolation and loneliness for residents of St Helens.

Update on the discussions so far.

The focus is on reducing social isolation and loneliness

• Loneliness is associated with higher rates of depression, high blood pressure and dementia and is one of the priorities of the St Helens Place-based Partnership and the Health Inequalities Commission under the overall focus on mental health & well-being
• Social isolation and loneliness is the umbrella term that covers – self-harm, increasing anxiety levels, poor mental health, poor attendance at work or lack of productivity etc.
 

Why is this the focus?

• ONS data from 2021 has highlighted that 11% of people in St Helens felt lonely often or always, compared to 7% nationally.
• Hospital admissions for self-harm are almost double the national average in the 10-to-24-year age group (OHID 2022).
• 9% of children in St Helens had low happiness levels with their lives as a whole, compared to a national average of 5% (Good Childhood Inquiry, 2020).
• Rates of under-18 hospital admissions and adult admissions for alcohol-specific reasons are also nearly double the national average.

The full report can be found in the attachment below.