Ministers are calling on Scots to talk to their neighbours and reconnect with old friends in the launch of the first national strategy on loneliness in the UK.
The Scottish Government proposals include a plea for strangers to perform “acts of kindness” for each other and an expansion of GP prescriptions for community activities.
Launching the draft document A Connected Scotland, social security minister Jeane Freeman said the state has a role to play in improving people’s social lives.
The charity Age Scotland said the Scottish Government is right to take the bold and unusual step of “getting involved in maintaining and improving people’s social relationships”.
Ms Freeman said the strategy, which is going out to consultation, must be “about more than money or projects”.
“The reality is that we all have responsibility to ensure that our communities are more connected and cohesive, and that principles like kindness get greater traction in society,” the South Scotland MSP said.
“Whether it is saying hello to your neighbour, taking the time to get to know a regular customer at work, reaching out to someone you haven’t seen in a while, or just a small act of kindness that can make a stranger’s day – all of this can go a long way to helping everyone feel part of their community.”
The crackdown on the public health issue targets people of all ages.
The government says the planning system can be reformed to combat loneliness, such as by imposing greater requirements on developers to provide community facilities.
Another lever is getting the health service to work closer with social groups and an expansion of social prescribing by GPs.
Link workers are being piloted in Dundee and Glasgow to perform that role.
In an example of schemes already up-and-running, the mental health charity PLUS in Perth & Kinross has received £17,000 from a loneliness fund for projects, including poetry appreciation sessions, lunch clubs and a gardening scheme.
Across the UK, 13% of people do not have someone they would call a close pal, according to a survey last year by the charities Relate and Relationships Scotland.
Brian Sloan, from Age Scotland, said much of the expertise to tackle loneliness already exists in communities, but there is “huge potential to scale up existing projects and test out creative interventions”.
“The strategy can also be improved further,” he added.
“Government can also take concrete steps, such as investing in accessible and affordable transport, maintaining community spaces as hubs for interaction, and supporting the potential offered by digital technology.”
