It is linked to higher risk of self-harm and suicidal thoughts.
Young people feeling lonely are at twice the risk of mental health problems like depression and anxiety, research finds.
Loneliness is a modern epidemic among young as well as old, with those aged between 16 and 24-years old being the most lonely.
Lonely people were also at higher risk of self-harm and suicidal thoughts and they felt most pessimistic about their ability to succeed.
Dr Timothy Matthews, the study’s first author, said:
“It’s often assumed that loneliness is an affliction of old age, but it is also very common among younger people.
Unlike many other risk factors, loneliness does not discriminate: it affects people from all walks of life; men and women, rich and poor.”
For the study, over 2000 British young people were asked questions such as ‘how often do you feel you lack companionship?’ and ‘how often do you feel left out?’
They were also interviewed about their mental and physical health as well as their lifestyles.
Around 7% of young people said they were often lonely.
Dr Matthews said:
“Our findings suggest that if someone tells their GP or a friend that they feel lonely, that could be a red flag that they’re struggling in a range of other areas in life.
There are lots of community initiatives to try and encourage people to get together and take part in shared activities.
However, it’s important to remember that some people can feel lonely in a crowd, and the most effective interventions to reduce loneliness involve counselling to help individuals tackle negative patterns of thinking.”
While the study cannot tell us that loneliness is the cause of these problems, it does show how widespread the problem is.
Professor Louise Arseneault, study co-author, said:
“It’s important that we become comfortable talking about loneliness as a society.
People are often reluctant to admit that they feel lonely, because there is still a stigma attached to it. That in itself can be profoundly isolating.”
The study was published in the journal Psychological Medicine (Matthews et al., 2018).
