Thousands of Londoners are lonely but feel too ashamed to talk about it
Hundreds of thousands of people experience loneliness but many feel ashamed and unable to talk about it, according to new research.
A survey commissioned by Mental Health Foundation (MHF) found that a quarter of people (25 per cent) said they felt lonely some or all of the time in the previous month, while more than three quarters (78 per cent) said they had felt lonely at some point in the last year.
Almost one third (31 per cent) of those surveyed said feelings of loneliness had a negative impact on their mental health, however more than half (51 per cent) said they would hide their feelings of loneliness from others.
More than a quarter (27 per cent) said they feel ashamed about being lonely and almost four in 10 (39 per cent) said they would never admit to feeling that way.
The research was released by MHF on Monday for Mental Health Awareness Week, which this year has the theme of loneliness.
The theme was chosen because loneliness can damage mental health and feelings of loneliness surged during the lockdowns.
MHF said that loneliness needs to be treated as a public health issue with action from government, communities and individuals to help prevent mental health problems.
Julie Cameron, associate director of Mental Health Foundation, said: “Our research shows that loneliness is affecting hundreds of thousands of people.
“This is very concerning as long-term loneliness can potentially lead to mental health problems such as anxiety and depression, and it is also associated with increased thoughts of suicide.
“Yet, so many of us are embarrassed or ashamed to admit when we’re feeling lonely.”
Friends
MHF said that loneliness is not about the number of friends we have, how much time we spend on our own, or something which happens when we reach a certain age, but is the feeling we experience when there is a mismatch between the meaningful social connections we want and those we have.
The charity is inviting people to share their experiences of loneliness and how it has affected their mental health using the hashtag #IveBeenThere.
It is hoped this can help to open up conversations, increase understanding and reduce stigma about loneliness.