Contents Foreword 4 Executive summary 6 1. Background, aims and approach 12 2. Loneliness is an important issue for the UK 16 3. What causes loneliness, and how can it become chronic? 20 4. What is it like to be lonely in the UK? 31 5. What is the support landscape like for loneliness in the UK? 34 6. What kind of support do people want and how do they want support delivered? 38 7. Conclusions 49 December 2016 ISBN 978-0-900228-30-8 Front cover photos (clockwise from top left) © Phil Smyth / BRC, © Simon Rawles.