"The Loneliness Epidemic" - Speaker Lunch with Professor Paul Martin

"The Loneliness Epidemic"

Speaker lunch with Professor Paul Martin

12.30 pm 24th June 2026

The Kelvin Club

We are delighted that our guest speaker will be our own member, Professor Paul R Martin OAM, Adjunct Professor, Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash University and Adjunct Professor, School of Applied Psychology and Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University.

Paul carried out his original training at the University of Bristol prior to his post graduate study at Oxford and migrated to Australia in 1979. Until quite recently, Paul held the position of Professor of Psychology and Director of the Research School of Psychology at the ANU. He has held a number of leadership positions including national president of the Australian Behaviour Modification Association, and director of Science and then President of the Australian Psychological Society. He has authored and/or edited eight books and 160 journal articles and chapters. In 2003, he received a Centenary Medal “for service to Australian society and medicine”, and in 2015 he received the Medal of the Order of Australia, OAM, for “service to medicine in the field of psychology.”

Paul is clearly very well qualified to talk on the topic: “The Loneliness Epidemic" - an ongoing trend of loneliness and social isolation experienced by people across the globe. The increase may have begun in the 2010s and was exacerbated by the isolating effects of social distancing, stay-at-home orders, and deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic. Other factors credited for the increase include individualism, technology and social media, economic inequality, lack of social support, and lack of a college degree.

Lunch is at the Kelvin Club (www.kelvinclub.com) where we meet from 12-30 pm onwards. A two-course meal is served at 1 pm and the formal part of the proceedings will conclude around 2-15 pm.

The price for OUSV and CSV members and guests is $75. Drinks may be purchased at the bar in advance. For non-members the price is $85.

Queries: please contact secretary.ousv@gmail.com