One in three young adults is lonely - and that affects their mental health

According to a new report from Swinburne University and VicHealth, more than one in three young adults aged 18 to 25 reported problematic loneliness.

We interviewed 1,520 Victorians between the ages of 12 to 25 years and examined their experience of loneliness. We also asked about the symptoms of depression and social anxiety.

In total, one in four adolescents (12 to 25 years old) said they felt lonely for three or more days in the last week.

Among the 18- to 25-year-olds, one in three (35%) said they felt lonely three or more times a week. We also found that a higher degree of loneliness increases the risk of depression for a young adult by 12% and social anxiety by 10%.

Young people between the ages of 12 and 17 gave better results, with one in seven (13%) feeling lonely three or more times a week. Participants in this age group also reported fewer symptoms of depression and social anxiety than 18- to 25-year-olds.

Young adulthood can be a lonely time

Everyone can experience loneliness at any time in their lives, but is often triggered by significant events in life - both positive (like new parenting or new work) and negative (sadness, separation or health problems).

Young adults master new challenges such as relocating from home and starting university, TAFE or work. Almost half (48%) of young adults in our survey lived away from family members and caregivers. Almost 77% were also engaged in some kind of work.

Adolescents in high school can be kept from loneliness because they are surrounded by peers, many of whom have known them for years. However, once they leave the security of this familiar environment, they will likely need to make extra efforts to make new connections. You may also feel more disconnected from the existing friends that have them.

During this transition to independence, young adults may find themselves in evolving social networks, including interacting with peers and peers of various ages. Learning to navigate these various relationships requires adjustments and a lot of trial and error.

Nothing Works Better Than a Reforbes

Is social media blamed?

It is often assumed that trust in social media leads to loneliness.

No studies known to me have investigated the cause of loneliness and use of social media.

There is evidence that those who are lonely use the Internet more for social interactions and spend less time on real interactions. However, it is unclear whether the use of social media causes more loneliness.

While social media can be used to replace offline relationships with online relationships, it can also be used to enhance existing relationships and provide new social opportunities.

In addition, a recent study found that the link between social media use and mental stress was weak.

Is loneliness the cause or consequence of a mental illness?

Loneliness is bad for our physical and mental health. Over a period of six months, people who are lonely are more likely to be affected by depression, social anxiety, and paranoia. Social anxiety can also lead to more loneliness at a later stage.

The solution is not as simple as joining a group or trying to make friends, especially when you are already afraid to be with people.

While lonely people are motivated to connect with others, social interactions are more likely to be stressful. Brain imaging studies show that lonely people are less rewarded by social interactions and are more focused on the needs of others than less lonely colleagues

When lonely people socialize, they are more likely to defeat themselves. For example, they may be less cooperative and tend to show negative emotions and body language. This happens in an (often unconscious) attempt to break away and protect oneself from rejection.

It is also more likely that lonely people will find reasons they can not trust or who will not meet certain social expectations, and believe that others will rate them more negatively than they actually do.

What can we do against it?

One way to counter these invisible forces is to help young people think more positively about friendship and understand how they can influence others through their emotions and behavior.

Parents, educators and counselors can help educate children and adolescents about the dynamics of developing friendships. This may mean helping young people to evaluate their own behaviors and thought patterns, to understand how they play an active role in building relationships, and to help them interact differently.

More specific strategies could include:

• question unhelpful thinking or negative views about others

• help young people identify their strengths and learn how important they are to building strong, meaningful relationships. Identifying humor as strength, for example, may mean discussing how to use one's humor to build relationships with others.

Educational programs can do more for the social health of young people, and these discussions can be integrated into health education courses.

Since young people are already familiar with technology often and competently, carefully crafted digital tools could be developed to tackle loneliness.

These tools could help young people learn skills to build and maintain meaningful relationships. And because lonely people tend to avoid others, digital tools could also serve as a way to help young people build social trust and practice new skills in a safe space.

However, a cornerstone of any solution is the normalization of feelings of loneliness. A sense of loneliness is not seen as weakness, but as an innate human need for connection. Loneliness can be detrimental to your health if it is ignored or not treated properly, so the stress continues.

Recognizing and normalizing feelings of loneliness can help lonely people to consider different options for action.

We do not yet know the lifelong effects of loneliness on today's young people. Therefore, it is important to take action now to raise awareness and give young people the tools to build meaningful social relationships.

Michelle Lim, the author of this piece, will be available for questions on this topic on Tuesday, October 1, 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm AEST. Please post your questions in the comments below.