text: Intermediate 
  Loneliness has finally become a hot topic. The Office for National Statistics has found Britain to be the loneliest place in Europe. British people are less likely to have strong friendships or know their neighbours than people anywhere else in the European Union. And research at the University of Chicago has found that loneliness is twice as bad for older peoples health as obesity and almost as great a cause of death as poverty.
  This is shocking but such studies do not examine the loneliness epidemic among younger adults. In 2010, the Mental Health Foundation found that loneliness was a greater concern among young people than among the elderly. The 18- to 34-year-olds surveyed were more likely to feel lonely often, to worry about feeling alone and to feel depressed because of loneliness than the over-55s.
  Loneliness is a recognized problem among the elderly and there are day centres and charities to help them, says Sam Challis, of the mental health charity Mind, but, when young people reach 21, theyre too old for youth services. This is problematic because of the close relationship between loneliness and mental health  it is linked to increased stress, depression, paranoia, anxiety, addiction and it is a known cause of suicide.
  But what can young people do to prevent loneliness? One researcher at the Oxford Internet Institute points out that social media and the internet can be both a good thing and a problem. They are beneficial when they enable us to communicate with distant loved ones but not when they replace face-to-face contact. People present an idealized version of themselves online and we expect to have social lives like those we see in the media, says Challis. Comparing the perfect lives of our friends with our own lives can lead us to withdraw socially.
  Meditation techniques and apps such as Headspace are trendy solutions frequently recommended for a range of mental health problems, but theyre not necessarily helpful for loneliness, as they actively encourage us to be alone with our thoughts. It is better to address the causes of your loneliness first  whats stopping you going out and seeing people? says Challis.
  Indeed, a study of social media at the University of Michigan in 2013 found that using technology to help you meet new people can be beneficial. And, if you are unable to go out for some reason, the internet can help you. For example, Mumsnet, an online network for parents, can help you feel less alone when bringing up young children.
  Helplines can also reduce loneliness, at least in the short term. One in four men who call the emotional support charity Samaritans mention loneliness or isolation and Get Connected is a free confidential helpline for young people, where they can get help with emotional and mental health problems often linked to loneliness. There are also support services on websites such as Minds that can remind you youre not alone.
  At work, it can be beneficial to tell your employer how youre feeling. John Binns advises businesses on mental health and well-being. He was admitted to hospital for stress-related depression in 2007 and took two months off work. He felt as if there was no one to talk to and wasnt close enough to colleagues for them to notice the changes in his behaviour. More openness with his employer and colleagues made his return to work easier. Office chit-chat may seem like a waste of time but it helps to protect us from the emotional and psychological effects of work strain.
  We treat the networks we have as incidental but theyre fundamental to our well-being, says Nicky Forsythe, a psychotherapist and the founder of Talk for Health, an organization that trains people to give and receive support in groups. The most important thing is to have a regular time and place to reflect on your life and to have an empathetic listener.
  If we believe recent research, loneliness is killing the elderly and, with an ageing population, we should aim to reduce our isolation before it is too late. Getting older doesnt have to mean getting lonelier, says Ruth Sutherland, the chief executive of the relationship counselling service Relate. But it is very important to lay the foundations to good-quality relationships earlier in life.