- Those identified by the ONS as at increased risk include[1](#_ftn1): - Aged 16-29. This group is almost three times as likely to report feeling lonely often or always than those over 70 (9.7% versus 3.7%). University students are most likely young people to feel lonely[2](#_ftn2). - Being female - Being single, or widowed - Having a ‘limiting’ health condition - Renters - Feeling a low sense of belonging to an area or neighbourhood - Other studies highlight different populations, particularly regarding youth loneliness[3](#_ftn3): - Free school meal recipients - Those newly arrived into the country, including refugees - People with caring responsibilities - LGBTQ+ people - People with physical disabilities - Neurodivergent people - Those not in employment - Those who have suffered prejudice or feel different. - There are also structural factors[4](#_ftn4): - Lack of social services and infrastructure - Poor physical or isolating environments - Social and cultural norms and perceptions (including the stigma of loneliness) - Psychological factors include[5](#_ftn5): - Social cognition (e.g., cognitive biases and perceptions of society) - Attributional styles (e.g., believing loneliness is an internal issue rather than an external one) - Coping styles (how people respond to challenge) - Self-esteem - Mental health - Early life experience (conflict between parents, bullying and/or economic hardship).  --- [1](#_ftnref1) Office for National Statistics, 2019 [2](#_ftnref2) Advance HE and HEPI, 2022. [3](#_ftnref3) Campaign to End Loneliness, 2022 [4](#_ftnref4) _Ibid_ [5](#_ftnref5) Campaign to End Loneliness, 2022