One small step

1st October 2021

The Co-op Foundation, 2021

Download PDF Report This research from the Co-op Foundation explores the impact of loneliness on young people’s mental wellbeing, skills and sense of community. The research shows:

• Chronic youth loneliness (young people who are lonely often or always) has risen by 400,000 over the past year to 1.9m
• Young people who have ever had free school meals are twice as likely to be chronically lonely compared to those who haven’t (20% compared to 10%)
• 85% of chronically lonely young people say loneliness has negatively impacted on their mental wellbeing while 70% said it made them less able to perform well in school or work.
• Half of all lonely young people (50%) say loneliness makes them less likely to want to help out in their local community
• Three fifths of all young people who feel lonely (61%) say it’s made them want to help other lonely young people.