This briefing examines the scale, impact and solutions to loneliness among unpaid carers in Northern Ireland. Key findings:

• 29% of unpaid carers in Northern Ireland say they feel lonely always or often.
• Carers who experience loneliness are more likely to describe their mental health as bad or very bad and have higher rates of depression, stress and anxiety.
• NI lags behind the rest of the UK in tackling loneliness, as the only jurisdiction without a dedicated loneliness strategy. We need to see a cross departmental loneliness strategy developed within this Assembly mandate.