The majority of British people have experienced loneliness and also know someone who is lonely, according to new research. In a survey, 84% of British people said they have felt lonely, with 13% feeling lonely ‘all of the time’. The research commissioned by the Campaign to End Loneliness also shows that almost two-thirds of people (64%) know someone who is lonely. Despite the large numbers of people affected, the research suggests that loneliness is a taboo subject: 92% of respondents think that people are scared to admit that they are lonely.
The Campaign to End Loneliness has developed a step-by-step guide to help local authorities and stakeholders identify the hidden lonely. The Missing Million: In Search of the Loneliest in our Communities helps commissioners and service providers to identify older people experiencing, or who are at risk of experiencing, loneliness. It will assist frontline workers to better understand and respond to loneliness, and to engage with older people experiencing loneliness.
Revealed – fear and taboo linked to widespread loneliness in Britain
