Research and Reports
Craving connection: How loneliness is impacting young people's mental health
Our summary
These findings are a snapshot from ReachOut’s ‘Understanding the Issues Impacting Young People’s Mental Health’ study, a national survey of 667 young people aged 16–25 years conducted in 2022. The research aimed to explore young people's worries, concerns or stresses and the impact of these on their mental health and wellbeing.
The key findings include that nearly half reported loneliness as one of the most concerning issues for them. Stress related to feeling lonely is manifesting in different ways, including:
- having a moderate to major impact on their mental health and wellbeing (82%);
- mood changes (75%);
- sleep issues (64%);
- changes to appetite (30%); and
- challenges with relationships (50%).