The Samaritans ambassador has shared her experiences of loneliness amid a rise in mentions over the past two years
- Calls to Samaritans mentioning loneliness and isolation have increased by more than a fifth in two years.
- Survey reveals far more young people feeling lonely and isolated compared to over 55s.
Scarlett Moffatt, Samaritans ambassador and TV presenter marks Mental Health Awareness Week, saying: “Sometimes it can feel like there is a negative stigma around admitting that you’re lonely, but it’s something that most people will have experienced at one point in their life. There is no shame in feeling alone, and it’s okay to talk about it”.
Her words couldn’t be more timely, as newly released Samaritans data shows a 22% increase in emotional support calls mentioning loneliness and isolation since the start of the pandemic. Contacts from female identified callers showed an even greater increase (26%), compared to male identified callers (15%) over the same time[1].
Scarlett continued: “In the world of social media, it’s not always clear to see when people are feeling sad or lonely. I remember feeling guilt when I felt lonely – because to many people I have no reason to feel alone – but loneliness affects us all. The pandemic was particularly tough for a lot of people. I rang Samaritans for support and would urge anyone else struggling to do so too. Talking to someone who didn’t know me, or judge me, really helped when I wanted to talk about how I was feeling”.
“In the world of social media, it’s not always clear to see when people are feeling sad or lonely. I remember feeling guilt when I felt lonely – because to many people I have no reason to feel alone – but loneliness affects us all. The pandemic was particularly tough for a lot of people. I rang Samaritans for support and would urge anyone else struggling to do so too. Talking to someone who didn’t know me, or judge me, really helped when I wanted to talk about how I was feeling."
Scarlett Moffatt
Meanwhile a separate UK-wide survey, commissioned by Samaritans[2], reveals how the places where we live disproportionately affect levels of loneliness and isolation. While 36% of those living in urban areas agreed that they felt more isolated or lonely during the pandemic due to where they live, just 20% of those in rural areas felt the same.
Of the 17 major UK cities covered by the research, 34% of those living in the London and Cardiff areas agreed that they felt more isolated or lonely during the pandemic due to where they live, close to three times more than those in Norwich (13%) who were least likely to report such feelings[3].
A generational divide is also evident, with 42% of 18-34-year-olds agreeing with the same question, compared to just 14% of over 55s.
This year’s Mental Health Awareness Week is focussing on the impact loneliness has on our mental wellbeing and Samaritans is issuing new tips for anyone who may be struggling to cope.
Channique, from Manchester, a Samaritans listening volunteer for three years, said: “Loneliness is a normal human feeling but if these feelings persist, it can make you feel disconnected from those around you and affect your mental wellbeing. I frequently hear just how challenging it can be during my shifts.
“Most of us will feel lonely at some point in our lives. You don’t have to be alone to feel lonely. There’s no shame in recognising feelings of loneliness – or seeking support if you are struggling.”
“Loneliness is a normal human feeling but if these feelings persist, it can make you feel disconnected from those around you and affect your mental wellbeing. I frequently hear just how challenging it can be during my shifts. Most of us will feel lonely at some point in our lives. You don’t have to be alone to feel lonely. There’s no shame in recognising feelings of loneliness – or seeking support if you are struggling.”
Channique, a Samaritans listening volunteer
More information on loneliness, isolation and how to support yourself and others is available here.
Anyone can contact Samaritans, free, any time from any phone on 116 123, or you can email [email protected] or visit www.samaritans.org
Ends
Notes To Editor
1 Samaritans eLog data on mentions of isolation and loneliness. Data compared pre-pandemic (1 March 2018 – 22 Mar 2020) vs since the pandemic began (23 Mar 2020 – 21st March 2022).
Mentions of isolation and loneliness:
Pre-pandemic: Female identified callers - 23%, male identified callers - 26%
During the pandemic: Female identified callers - 29%, male identified callers - 30%
The % increase is bigger for female identified callers but starting from a lower base and ending lower than for male identified callers. Both have increased over the period, and the gap between the two has narrowed - now both rest at a similar place.
2 Samaritans commissioned a survey by Opinium Research. They ran a consumer omnibus survey of 2000 nationally representative adults from 18th January to 20th January. The questions asked related to the findings used in this release were:
- Thinking of the last 2 years of the pandemic, how far do you agree or disagree with the following - I felt more isolated or lonely during the pandemic due to where I live;
- 42% of 18–34-year-olds agreed, 29% disagreed
- 32% of 35-54 year olds agreed, 42% disagreed
- 14% of 55+ year olds agreed, 54% disagreed
3 The 17 cities are Belfast, Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Norwich, Nottingham, Plymouth, Sheffield and Southampton.
About Samaritans
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