David Baker, director of research at the Australia Institute. Credit:Joe Armao And, while it is normal, it is not something anyone desires and is sometimes linked to depression. There is a profound difference between solitude, those quiet, reflective times many of us crave, and loneliness, which is never sought. Loneliness creeps in for lots of reasons, and is associated with a lack of friendships and other meaningful relationships without which life can be bleak and black. A recent report by the Canberra-based research centre, the Australia Institute, gives us a rare insight into loneliness, and suggests it is increasing despite the burgeoning use of social media, which, although it facilitates much communication, might not be creating as much human connection as one might have thought. The report, All the lonely people, was written by the institute's research director, David Baker, today's guest in The Zone. The full transcript of our interview and a short video are at theage.com.au/opinion/the-zone. ''The incidence of loneliness is growing because people come in and out of it. In any given year, one in 10 of us is experiencing loneliness. But because we move out of it and other people come in, over the last 10 years three out of 10 of us have experienced loneliness. That transition rate is increasing, so more people are moving into loneliness.''

Baker drew heavily on data collected over 10 years by a government-funded study called Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA), which is managed by the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research. The HILDA survey covered 20,000 people in almost 7,700 households. They were asked to respond to 10 statements: 1) People don't come to visit me as often as I'd like. 2) I often need help from other people but can't get it. 3) I seem to have a lot of friends.

4) I don't have anyone I can confide in. 5) I have no one to lean on in times of trouble. 6) There is someone who can always cheer me up when I'm down. 7) I often feel very lonely. 8) I enjoy the time I spend with the people who are important to me.

9) When something's on my mind, just talking with the people I know can make me feel better. 10) When I need someone to help me out, I can usually find someone. The information gained from the survey was buttressed by an online study by the Australia Institute of 1,400 people in June. Respondents in both surveys had to score a negative result on all 10 in order to be classified as lonely. Because of this requirement, Baker reckons the results might well understate the incidence of loneliness, and cites previous studies that have found as many as three in 10 people are lonely at any given time. ''It might be that if you only used one question, the rate of loneliness would be very much higher.'' Although the results of the HILDA and Australia Institute surveys might understate the issue, what is beyond doubt is that loneliness undermines people's wellbeing and can be debilitating, particularly if it continues.

''If you have been lonely for three years, it is likely to extend for a long period of time. So yes, transitioning in and out is something that appears to be part of the experience of life and is certainly going to be informed by events in your life that you're not always going to have control of. But once you find that you are entrenched or stuck in that experience, then that's where it is going to become a really important social issue. ''In the report we cite a definition of loneliness that it is the mismatch between the relationships that we desire or wish we had and the reality we are currently living. So for all people the experience or threshold for loneliness is going to be different, but for everyone it is a matter of relational voids in our lives.'' Some of the key findings of All the lonely people are: ■This risk of loneliness is greater for couples living with children than for childless couples. Baker speculates this reflects the amount of time, energy and money it takes to raise a family. ■People living alone or in single-parent households are twice as likely to be lonely as people living in couples.

■There is no difference in loneliness levels in cities and rural areas. ■Young women who are on low incomes are the most likely group to be lonely. ■Once people reach a minimal level of financial security, rates of loneliness are not affected by wealth. ■For both men and women, increased financial difficulties are related to becoming lonely. ■During the 10 years to 2010, more men (36 per cent) were lonely than women (29 per cent). Baker believes this is because women tend to nurture stronger social networks. ''It is cliched, but men do not reach out to other men.''

■The prevalence of loneliness increases for men until the age of 60, but then declines. ■For people aged 25 to 44, men are four times as likely as women to live alone, and are twice as likely to be lonely. ■The role of social media is not straightforward. Some lonely people seem to be seeking social support through networking sites, but do not consider such contacts real friends, while those who are not lonely are using the sites to expand already robust social circles. Baker argues there are some policy implications for governments, particularly the need to provide support for people who leave hospital and have no family or friends to help with the transition back to their normal life. ''If you don't have that social structure, and the state is no longer providing sufficient resources, then there is a big issue there.'' Policies that promote employment are also crucial, he says.

But connecting to the community is the most accessible way to combat loneliness. There are so many opportunities to engage with people, places, issues and ideas; Australia has more than 600,000 not-for-profit organisations, employing one in 12 of the workforce and welcoming as many as 6.4 million volunteers. There is, however, a paradox. ''Our research found though that people who are experiencing loneliness are less likely to volunteer, so that the option of using volunteering to help people who are lonely becomes more difficult because they are already more hesitant to participate in volunteering.'' Baker suggests the government might have a role here, too; a national campaign to encourage volunteering. Perhaps another ready solution lies right next door; connecting with your neighbourhood might be a better idea than ever. These days, dropping in unexpectedly on family and friends has become almost a faux pas, which probably reflects the demands of juggling work and the aforementioned realities of raising a family.

But, given the persistence and prevalence of loneliness, surely it's time to question the wisdom of such hesitancy. Turning up unannounced might provoke offence or discomfort, so maybe it's not smart to just start barging in on people, but it would seem a decent idea to arrange, even at short notice, a bigger number of informal visits to friends and family and neighbours. And, of course, we can circumvent the dropping-in issue by inviting people to our homes or some other venue. This might all sound rather evident, but it does not seem to be happening as much as it might. Almost all of us have been, or are, lonely or know someone who is in need of, or even desperate for, company. How common, indeed, is the lament: ''I really must get around to catching up with X.'' Sometimes the most ingrained problems have simple solutions. Let's just make the effort and share the rewards. Loading

It is better than hearing the sad sighs of James Joyce's harps.