An article in today’s Times comments on the results of a recent YouGov survey into loneliness. It reports that 18% of men surveyed did not have a close friend and 32% had no-one they counted as a best friend. The figures were significantly higher than those for women, 12% of whom said they did not have a close friend and 24% reported lacking a best friend.

The survey also found that men were less likely to say they were lonely, with 44% admitting they felt lonely sometimes, often or all of the time, compared to 50% of women.

Rebecca Kennelly of the Royal Voluntary Service comments: “These are stark findings, but given the stigma attached to loneliness, its likely there are many more people who are yet to voice their feelings.”

She goes on to suggest a series of things that people can do to create a sense of purpose and an opportunity to interact with new people, including joining lunch clubs.

The full article can be viewed here.