- #TheLonelyMillion
about the campaign
1 million young adults today struggle with chronic loneliness
Every week, 1 in 10 young adults in the UK struggle with chronic loneliness.
That’s roughly 1 million young adults experiencing prolonged and often debilitating levels of loneliness on a daily basis.
To put that in perspective – that’s more than the entire population of Iceland and Malta combined, and enough young adults to fill the O2 Arena fifty times.
This isn't just a mental health crisis.
Loneliness can have a devastating impact on mental health and today, chronic loneliness has been shown to lead to a range of other serious mental health issues, from depression and anxiety.
Meanwhile, back in 2019 – Samaritans found loneliness was the single most common factor among young people experiencing suicidal thoughts.
However, this is not just a mental health crisis, with research showing that the physical effects of loneliness are equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
This lead to the WHO to declare loneliness as a “Pressing Global Health Threat” back in November 2023.
The economic implications are also substantial, with chronic loneliness costing around £9,900 pp per year, and it cost employers £2.5 billion a year, due to its combined impact on wellbeing, health, and work productivity.
Goals of the Campaign
#TheLonelyMillion Campaign is led by The Great Friendship Project, in partnership with a range of incredible organisations. The goals of the campaign are as follows:
1. Educate
Goal – Educate about the impact, prevalence of loneliness and the tools to rise out of loneliness.
Despite its prevalence, the issue of loneliness amongst young adults is still widely overlooked, as are its long-term health, economic and wider social impacts.
Indeed, loneliness itself is still widely misunderstood incorrectly as synonymous with social isolation.
The campaign aims to educate both young adults and the wider public about the causes, triggers, and types of loneliness, dispelling misconceptions and fostering a better understanding of the issue.
2. Challenge
Goal – Challenge the misconceptions and stereotypes that are behind the pervasive stigma
While progress has been made in tackling mental health stigma, loneliness remains taboo, perpetuated by outdated stereotypes and misconceptions.
This is in part a result of ill-informed and outdated stereotypes and misconceptions, which doesn’t reflect the research and science around loneliness.
Today, these stereotypes serve to fuel the pervasive stigma that stops young people from reaching out and getting support.
And so the campaign seeks to challenge the current narrative and dismantle the stigma surrounding loneliness.
3. Empower
Goal – Empower young adults to speak out about loneliness and reach out for help if they need it
Research by the Co-Op Foundation shows that 81% of young people would not admit to feeling lonely for fear of being mocked or judged.
Through real-life stories, we hope to empower young adults to speak out about their experiences with loneliness.
Ultimately, we aim to inspire a broader movement towards social change, creating a more connected future for young people.
Join the Movement
Together, we can transform attitudes and lay the foundations for a more connected future where “lonely” isn’t a dirty word.
There are many ways to get involved, from hosting a community event to partnering with the movement or becoming an ambassador.
To learn more how you can make a difference within your community or amplify the impact of the campaign, simply follow the link below.
