Mental Health Awareness Week 2022

9-15 May 2022 - Loneliness

This year’s theme is loneliness.

One in four adults feel lonely some or all of the time.

Figures relating to children’s loneliness are not as readily available, the ONS released a significant report in 2019 ‘Exploring loneliness in children, Great Britain: 2018’ that stated 45% of children said they felt lonely ‘often or ‘some of the time’.

Some people are more at risk of loneliness than others.

According to research from Carers UK and the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness, nine in 10 unpaid carers of disabled children have felt lonely or socially isolated.

And, it only takes a quick Google search to see many blogs posts from parents of children with disabilities sharing their experiences and highlighting that loneliness is a very real problem.

While children with neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDD) are also reported to experience more loneliness than their typically developing peers as they are often excluded from many activities and opportunities for social inclusion.

There’s no single cause and there’s no one solution to loneliness. After all, we’re all different!

The Mental Health Foundation website is packed full of ways to tackle loneliness and the practical steps that you can take if you are feeling lonely to help prevent some of the negative feelings and mental health problems that can come with it.

Click to find help and advice on how to cope with loneliness and improve your mental health.

Carer’s UK also has an excellent forum for advice and support - you can find it here.

About Mental Health Awareness Week

The Mental Health Foundation started Mental Health Awareness Week 21 years ago. Each year it sets the theme, organises and hosts the week.

It has grown to become one of the biggest awareness weeks across the UK and globally.