The warning signs of teenage loneliness and how to support them through hard times

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Secondary school pupils who are lonely are less likely to be employed as adults, a study has suggested.According to researchers from King’s College London (KCL) and the University of Greenwich, young people who felt lonely aged 12 are less likely to be in education, employment or training (NEET) by the time they reach adulthood, and believe they have a lower social status.Bridget Bryan, the study’s lead author and a PhD student at KCL’s Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), said: “While there are clear impacts of loneliness on mental health from an early age, our study demonstrates that loneliness also negatively impacts a person’s employment prospects.“We’ve shown that, from an early age, loneliness can have knock-on effects on a person’s ability to compete in the job market.

This not only harms a person’s chances in life, but also has direct costs to the economy.”So, how can parents spot when their teenagers are struggling with loneliness, and how can they support them through it?

Professor John Sharry, psychotherapist and co-founder of SilverCloud by Amwell, points out that young people may experience loneliness for various reasons – including “changes in their social environments, such as transitioning to a new school or heading to university, where they are faced with forming meaningful connections with peers. “One study found that during the Covid-19 pandemic, young people were more likely to experience loneliness and increased levels of anxiety,” Sharry added. “Societal influences such as social media can foster comparisons and unrealistic standards.

Shifts in their social circles and identity exploration can also exacerbate feelings of isolation.”Loneliness can manifest differently for