Impact of loneliness on young people's mental health

Loneliness affects millions of children and young people in the UK every year and is a key driver of poor mental health. This is especially important to address for young people who have become more isolated since the pandemic and lockdowns, losing important opportunities during adolescence to build relationships and friendships with peers. Resulting in significant isolation, higher risk of anxiety and a deterioration in face-to-face communication skills for many young people.

Loneliness and Mental Health

Loneliness is a feeling we all experience at some point in our lives. For young people, who are still developing social skills and dealing with the challenges of adolescence, loneliness can be especially tough to handle. Unfortunately, loneliness can also have a negative impact on mental health.

Symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders can be exacerbated by loneliness. And conversely, lonely individuals are more likely to develop mental health problems. This is why it's so important for teachers, mental health leads, and head teachers to be aware of the signs of loneliness in young people and to provide support when necessary.

Here are some of the ways that loneliness can impact young people and contribute to mental health problems: ‍

Loneliness increases stress levels.

When we feel lonely, our bodies go into "fight or flight" mode, releasing stress hormones like cortisol. This leads to a host of physical symptoms like headaches and stomachaches, as well as emotional symptoms like anxiety and irritability.

Loneliness leads to social withdrawal.

Feeling isolated and alone can cause people to withdraw from social activities and isolate themselves even further. As social creatures, humans need regular contact with others in order to thrive. But when we're feeling lonely, we're less likely to seek out those interactions.

Loneliness decreases self-esteem.

When we feel cut off from the world around us, it's easy to start thinking that there must be something wrong with us. This can lead to feelings of worthlessness and invisibility, which only reinforce the cycle of loneliness.

Loneliness disrupts sleep patterns.

It's hard to get a good night's sleep when you're feeling lonely; you may have trouble falling asleep in the first place, or you may wake up in the middle of the night and find it difficult to go back to sleep. This can lead to fatigue, which makes it even harder to cope with life's challenges.

Loneliness contributes to poor eating habits.

When we're feeling down, it's common to reach for unhealthy comfort foods or forego meals altogether. This can lead to weight gain or weight loss, as well as poor body image and low self-esteem.

Loneliness negatively impacts physical health.

‍ In addition to its effects on nutrition, loneliness has also been linked with high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and weakened immunity. ‍

Loneliness increases the risk of suicide.

‍Feeling isolated and alone can make life seem not worth living anymore; according to one study, 40% of suicides were preceded by feelings of loneliness

Anxiety and Loneliness in Young People

Loneliness can have a profound impact on young people, often fueling anxiety in unexpected ways. When isolated, they may experience heightened feelings of vulnerability, leading to constant overthinking and worrying about their social worth or future. This isolation can erode their self-esteem, making them question their abilities or whether they are truly valued by others.

Without regular social interactions, young people also miss out on the emotional support and reassurance that close relationships provide, leaving them feeling adrift and overwhelmed. Strengthening social connections and fostering inclusive, supportive environments can play a critical role in reducing the anxiety caused by loneliness, empowering young individuals to feel more secure and confident.

Loneliness and Online Interactions for Young People

Research by Towner et.al 2024, reveals that time spent alone can heighten teenagers' sense of threat, even during online interactions. This heightened alertness stems from their intense emotional responses and developing social awareness, making them more sensitive to perceived dangers in solitude. Interestingly, while online platforms often serve as a refuge for social connection, they don't entirely mitigate this "threat alert" response. Instead, being alone—even when engaging online—can amplify feelings of vulnerability. These findings underscore the importance of fostering healthy social connections and balancing screen time with face-to-face interactions to support teenagers’ emotional well-being.

Reducing Loneliness for Young People

Loneliness is something that everyone experiences at one time or another but for young people, who are still developing social skills and dealing with the challenges of adolescence, it can be especially tough to handle.

It's important for teachers, mental health leads and head teachers to be aware of the signs of loneliness in young people so they offer support when necessary because left unchecked loneliness can have a negative impact on mental health in a number of ways.

In 2015 ACEVO (The UK's largest Network for Charity and Social Enterprise Leaders) launched 'Coming in from the Cold' – a report on loneliness among young people in London. We are delighted that Worth-it is featured as a case study in this report. Although this work took place a few years ago it has significant relevance today.

Feeling lonely and isolated with a no one to talk to, not feeling heard or listened to has a significant negative impact on young people's levels of wellbeing and can lead to the development of longer-term mental health problems.

There has been little in-depth research into the experience of loneliness and how it impacts young people.

The loneliness young people experience that was highlighted in the 2015 report was a ground-breaking attempt to begin this process. It uses London as a test case and focuses on those aged 16 to 32 years, examining the causes of loneliness among young people and proposing solutions to the related problems. Our work was presented as a proactive case study of positive education approaches that help prevent loneliness for younger teenagers, which could prevent the onset of these problems for older young people

Estimates show that the health, crime and unemployment costs, which in part can be associated with loneliness, amount to £34.5 billion. The damage done by loneliness to young people themselves can range from poor physical and mental health, suppression of future job/earning opportunities or a drift into criminal activity.

Main Findings of the ‘Coming in from the Cold’ Report (2015)

Some of the main findings to come from the report are detailed here:

• 48% of 18-24 year olds say that they often feel lonely
• Young Londoners are roughly twice as likely to be lonely as the national average
• Women and ethnic minorities are significantly over-represented among lonely young Londoners
• Those going through a ‘life transition’ - leaving home, entering the world of work or falling in to the category known as ‘NEET’,  starting or leaving university, the failure of a major relationship or becoming a parent are more likely to experience loneliness
• 53% of young people have felt depressed because they felt alone

I don't get as angry as much any more, I talk to people more which has helped me with my friends and not feeling on my own.

Michael Worth-it Programme Participant aged 14

Recommendations of the Report

• Increased monitoring of loneliness through the Office for National Statistics
• Loneliness incorporated in local authorities strategies for engagement with young people
• The adoption of the Scottish Government’s ‘Getting it Right for Every Child and Young Person’ (GIRFEC) outcomes framework
• A Deputy Mayor for Young People to ensure strategic oversight of youth service provision and to promote the interests of this often overlooked demographic
• A Mayor’s Fund for Young People’s Resilience and Inclusion worth £3.2 million to help ensure that young people have built the necessary strong social connections‍

Peer Led Approach to Preventing Loneliness in Young People

We work with schools, organisations, and communities to help people learn, develop, and use skills that improve mental wellbeing.

Among the many services offered by us we have also developed an innovative, evidence-based positive education programmme for young people to help them develop essential skills to improve communication skills and strategies for wellbeing, which help address loneliness.

Our Wellbeing Ambassadors programme is a targeted intervention that has been co-produced with young people and is underpinned by positive coaching psychology. It helps develop communication and interpersonal skills for a group of young people who can then support peers in schools or settings feel that they belong and have someone to talk to. As part of this programme young people learn effective skills that improve interpersonal skills and strategies to develop positive peer relationships that are essential for young people to feel belonging and connection.

Our goal is to lead a sustainable systemic change to a more proactive, preventative approach to improving young people’s mental health and wellbeing. You can access our training enabling you to run our Wellbeing Ambassadors Programme and support the young people you work with prevent loneliness. Find out more about the impact of our Wellbeing Ambassadors Programme by downloading our FREE impact report.

Coaching for Preventing Loneliness

Coaching can empower young people to overcome loneliness by equipping them with essential communication skills and nurturing their ability to form meaningful connections. Through coaching, they learn how to express themselves confidently, practice active listening, and understand perspectives different from their own. This enhanced emotional awareness not only boosts their empathy but also makes their interactions more positive and fulfilling.

Coaching also emphasizes the importance of building strong, supportive peer networks, creating a sense of belonging and reducing feelings of isolation. By providing strategies to approach social situations with confidence and authenticity, coaching helps young people cultivate lasting relationships and foster a stronger sense of community around them.

If you are interested in finding out about how coaching can help the young people you work with Access our Free Introduction to Coaching Young People Course

If you want to train to coach the young people you work with and support apply for our Worth-it Coach Training Course.

Refrences

E. Towner, K. Thomas, L. Tomova, and S.-J. Blakemore, “Increased threat learning after social isolation in human adolescents,” Royal Society Open Science, vol. 11, no. 11, Nov. 2024.