Drivers of loneliness and barriers to connection c Social and cultural norms, work/life o ie S ty balance, stigma, digital age, insular communities, political landscape, mmun o ity C financial hardships nec t on ion Social activities, funding cuts, C s Indi- statutory services, transport, vidual neighbourhood safety Friends and acquaintances, family, colleagues Sense of self, health, income, energy, confidence, emotions, perceptions Outside of these moments where life events What is it like to be lonely in the UK? affected the way people saw themselves, participants also talked about factors related to As with other complicated and entrenched who they were as individuals that diminished social problems, loneliness impacted on people their ability to connect with others – their sense experiencing it in a number of ways that spanned of self, health, income, energy, confidence, across people’s biological, psychological and emotions and changed habits. social spheres. These impacts made connecting with others even more difficult. The context of one’s community also contributed to feelings of disconnection – fewer Loneliness physically impacts on the person social activities available, the disappearance experiencing it (the biological impacts); making of social spaces (community centres, city daily routines and engaging socially with people squares where people tend to congregate), more difficult. Feeling more tired and experiencing difficulty accessing statutory services and a lowered sense of well-being was described support, inadequate transport infrastructure, and by participants experiencing loneliness. These neighbourhood safety. physical impacts were closely linked to severe psychological consequences; lower energy, Features of UK society also contributed to the feeling stressed and anxious more often, and experience of loneliness for our participants mental health problems developing or worsening. – social and cultural norms (i.e. the perceived inappropriateness of talking with strangers), the Participants experiencing loneliness also impact of modern lives on work/life balance (i.e. described how they felt and what they thought flexible working hours/shift work), the perceived while experiencing loneliness (the psychological stigma of loneliness, communities becoming impacts), including lower confidence and more ‘closed off’, the rise of digital and online negative emotions and beliefs. Participants engagement, ‘benefits culture’ narratives and described feeling ‘alone’, ‘trapped’, ‘without whether someone was ‘deserving of support’, purpose’, ‘angry’ and ‘frustrated’. In the more and austerity measures contributing to fewer and serious cases, loneliness elicited thoughts of self- lower quality services and support available. For harm and suicide. further details on the causes of loneliness, see People also acted differently when they were Chapter 3. lonely (the social impacts). The social impacts included participants shutting themselves off from others, engaging or talking less, taking less care of their appearance/hygiene, and changing their sleeping and eating habits. Executive summary 7