Loneliness Is a Major Public Health Crisis A national conference demanding evidence led action on the health impacts of loneliness in Ireland
The Loneliness Taskforce Research Network (LTRN) and ALONE will host a landmark national conference, Understanding the Link Between Loneliness and Health, on Tuesday, 26th May 2026, at the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission.
Loneliness is now recognised as a serious public health issue, with impacts on health comparable to major risk factors such as physical inactivity and obesity. The European Commission has found that Ireland has the highest levels of loneliness in Europe, with around one in five people experiencing loneliness most or all of the time.
Bringing together service providers, policymakers, researchers, and people with lived experience of loneliness, the conference will explore how loneliness and health influence one another.
The conference will focus on evidence‑based interventions that work, how research can better inform policy and services, and how loneliness can be addressed as a health and systems issue, rather than an individual failing. At a time when loneliness is linked to increased pressure on health and social care services, the event aims to move beyond awareness and support practical, coordinated responses.
The event is made possible through grant funding from the Health Research Board, with coordination from Maynooth University and ALONE.
Speakers include Dr. Ann‑Marie Creaven (University of Limerick), Dr. Julie Christiansen (University of Southern Denmark), Dr. Fabian Sweeney (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland), and Dr. Joanna McHugh Power, Chair of the LTRN (Maynooth University). The programme will also include a panel featuring contributors from ALONE, Jigsaw, AsIAm, and the Care Alliance.
Outcomes from the conference will feed directly into the ongoing strategic work of the LTRN and the Loneliness Taskforce, supporting the development, implementation and accountability of a coordinated national response to loneliness in Ireland.
Seán Moynihan, CEO of ALONE said, “Loneliness is one of the most pressing and under‑recognised public health challenges facing Ireland today. From our work at ALONE, we see every day how loneliness affects not just emotional wellbeing, but physical health, independence and quality of life. This conference is a vital opportunity to bring evidence and lived experience together and to strengthen the case for sustained, coordinated action.”
Dr. Joanna McHugh Power, Chairperson of the Loneliness Taskforce Research Network and Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Maynooth University said, “Concerningly, Ireland has been shown to have high levels of loneliness. Today represents a major step forward to build on the networking and advocacy already achieved by the Loneliness Taskforce and the LTRN, and to bring evidence forward that loneliness is a pressing public health issue which requires a response”.
Dr. Julie Christiansen, Associate Professor, University of Southern Denmark and Keynote Speaker said, “Loneliness is an issue that affects many people, at different stages of their lives. Addressing loneliness requires collaboration across countries, disciplines and sectors. I look forward to sharing international findings and learning from the work underway in Ireland to translate research into meaningful support for those most affected.”
About the Loneliness Taskforce Research Network (LTRN)
The LTRN is Ireland’s national network of researchers focused on loneliness as a public‑health issue. It works to generate and synthesise evidence on loneliness and supports the Loneliness Taskforce in advocating for a coordinated governmental response. ALONE, an Irish charity supporting older people to age at home, provides coordination and secretariat support to both the Loneliness Taskforce and the LTRN. The conference is supported by funding from the Health Research Board.
