A student guide to loneliness

This guide is aimed at students aged 16+, it explores loneliness and the links to mental health and provides tips for students together with ideas of how to get involved and raise awareness in communities, at school, college or university.

Loneliness is the negative feeling we have when the relationships and connections we have with others are not what we want.

Loneliness is something that most of us will feel at some point in our lives, but there are certain factors that put some at a higher risk of loneliness than others.

Full-time students are among those at higher risk of feeling lonely, during the pandemic, 26% of students reported feeling lonely often or always, compared with 8% of the adult population. And although that figure decreased as restrictions eased (22%), it still remained much higher than loneliness levels in adults (6%).¹ Even before the pandemic, 88% of Britons aged from 18 to 24 said they experience loneliness to some degree, with 24% experiencing often and 7% saying they are lonely all of the time.

By highlighting loneliness and its impact on mental health, we hope to reduce stigma and support more people who are lonely, or at risk of loneliness.