According to a 2021 study commissioned by the Greater London Authority (GLA), at least 700,000 Londoners are severely lonely. As Robin Hewings, Programme Director for the Campaign to End Loneliness, who co-authored the GLA report, says, “Severe loneliness has a massive impact on people’s lives and their health and mental wellbeing. It overlaps with depression and anxiety and feelings of despair and alienation.”
There are lots of reasons why people experience loneliness. For example, if you’re a student who has moved away from home, a new parent with little time, a member of the LGBTQ+ community who faces discrimination or an older person who lives alone, you might feel lonely at times. The cost of socialising is also becoming a factor as people tighten their belts during the cost of living crisis. In a recent Metro article, Tracey Robbins, UK Delivery Manager, Eden Project Communities, commented, “I just really worry that people see connecting with others as a luxury… people begin to feel lonely without real human connection and that’s when you can see people cut themselves off from the ‘real world’.”
With research by the UK Government identifying direct links between chronic loneliness and mental health distress, there is a renewed effort to tackle loneliness in the UK. Good Thinking is here to help Londoners boost their mental health by providing free NHS-approved wellbeing apps, self-assessments, ‘how to’ guides and other resources.
If you’re feeling lonely, you might find it useful to start with these five steps to improve your overall mental wellbeing. You can find more details in our Five ways to good mental wellbeing guide and our Five ways to good mental wellbeing for different faiths guides.
Good Thinking resources
- Bereavement guides
- Five ways to good mental wellbeing (guide)
- Five ways to good mental wellbeing for different faiths (guides)
- Free NHS-approved wellbeing apps
- Make positive changes where you live (podcast)
- Quick guides for supporting others
- Urgent support
Useful websites
- Age UK – advice for older people on coping with loneliness
- Campaign to End Loneliness – advice on coping with loneliness
- Cruse – bereavement support
- Gingerbread – support for single parent families – advice for older people on coping with loneliness
- Mind - practical tips to help manage feelings of loneliness
- Samaritans – a free, confidential telephone and online support service
- Shout – a free, confidential text support service
- The Mix – free information and support for under 25s
- The Silver Line – a free telephone service for older people
- The Student Room – online student community
- Switchboard – free LGBT+ helpline
- YoungMinds – a mental health charity for children, young people and their parents
