Study suggests majority of lonely young people would not ask for help

Fewer than one in three young people would feel comfortable asking for help if they felt lonely, a new study suggests.

Research by the Co-op’s charity indicated that most young people did not believe society treated loneliness as a serious issue.

Only one in four of 2,000 people aged 10 to 25 surveyed by the Co-op Foundation said they felt confident talking about their feelings.

The report was issued to mark the launch of a campaign to help beat the stigma of youth loneliness, which is being supported by a number of organisations.

The campaign encourages people to wear yellow coloured socks and post a picture online.

Jim Cooke, head of the Co-op Foundation, said: “Loneliness is a feeling we can all relate to, but few of us realise that young people are affected more than any other age group.

“The ‘we are lonely but not alone’ campaign has been created by young people to tackle the stigma of youth loneliness and help us all show we care.”

Nicky Morgan, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, said: “Loneliness is a huge challenge and sadly a reality for too many young people. The Co-op’s innovative campaign is a fantastic way to raise awareness and help them realise they are not alone in feeling lonely.

“Through our loneliness strategy we are working to tackle the stigma of loneliness and create more opportunities for people to meet and make friends.

“I hope this campaign will encourage more people to spot the signs of loneliness, speak up and build more meaningful connections with each other.”

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