Loneliness is a frequently reported problem for young people aged 16 to 24 years old. A variety of interventions have been developed, but in most cases not extensively evaluated to try and tackle loneliness in this age group.
Loneliness occurs when a person feels that their social relationships are deficient in terms of quality and/or quantity. Loneliness can develop into a chronic problem, whereby individuals consistently feel that their relationships are not meaningful or satisfying. This is associated with a range of adverse physical and mental health outcomes.
In 2018, young people in the UK aged 16 to 24 years old reported a higher prevalence of frequent loneliness than any other age group in the population. Importantly, adolescence and young adulthood is also the developmental stage at which most mental health conditions arise.
Young people from 16 to 24 years old living in the United Kingdom who self-identified as having experienced loneliness were recruited to participate in this study. 23 young people were interviewed as part of the study and the transcripts analysed.
The study, carried out by researchers from University College London, Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Manchester aimed to qualitatively examine young peoples’ views on the acceptability and feasibility of different loneliness interventions.
They identified six key themes and found a need for continued development of individualised interventions designed to help manage loneliness in this age group. It was also concluded that future loneliness strategies should be co-produced with young people to ensure that they suit the varying needs of this population.
The article has been published in BMC Psychiatry and is available to read: Young people’s views on the acceptability and feasibility of loneliness interventions for their age group
Image: Lachlan Ross