MORE than half of young people in Southampton said they have felt disconnected from people, a new survey has revealed.

Research carried out by No Limits has released statistics which highlights the impact loneliness has upon young people’s mental health and well-being in Southampton and will launch an ‘unlock loneliness’ campaign with young people.

The youth charity conducted a 2-week survey in February 2019 of more than 300 young people around youth loneliness.

A total of 58 per cent of young people said they have felt disconnected from people, with 54 per cent of the stating that they felt they had no one to turn to.

Toni-Marie Leaf, Service Manager at No Limits, said: “Growing up can be a lonely time for any young person and this can be exacerbated by other challenges in their lives.

"We know that young people often see loneliness as a failure or a weakness and won’t ask for help.

"The ‘unlock loneliness’ campaign will hopefully start a conversation amongst young people and encourage them to seek much-needed support.”

The survey also revealed that 38 per cent of young people said they felt most isolated when at home, which the participants explained could be to do with parents being unaware of their child’s loneliness.

any of the respondents explained they have experienced feelings of isolation, depression and sadness, which they attributed to having low self-esteem and confidence as a result of social media.

To tackle youth loneliness in Southampton, No Limits has been awarded funding from the Co-Op Foundation, through the Building Connections Fund and the #iwill fund, to support over 200 young people who are suffering with high levels of loneliness due to the complex issues in their lives.

With the help of No Limits, these young people will engage in social action to tackle loneliness for themselves and their peers.

By the end of the two-year project, it is hoped that many young people in Southampton will understand more about loneliness and youth workers will be better equipped to tackle it.

No Limits’ loneliness project launched on Tuesday, March 14, with the charity’s Youth Ambassadors inviting all young people who may be experiencing loneliness or social isolation to find out about how they can access support to unlock loneliness.