Mental health and loneliness: the relationship across life stages
A DCMS-commissioned qualitative research report exploring the relationship between loneliness and mental health across key life stages
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DCMS commissioned NatCen to explore experiences of loneliness among people who have experienced a mental health condition. The qualitative study focused on four key life stages: young adulthood; parents with young children; middle-age; and retirement.
The study explored:
- how those with diagnosed mental health problems experience loneliness
- the extent to which social stigma associated with mental health conditions plays a role in experience of loneliness
- how experiences of loneliness among those who have mental health conditions vary by life stage
The study involved interviews and diary entries from individuals experiencing loneliness with a history of mental ill-health, along with interviews with professional expert stakeholders. The research aimed to better understand how people with mental health conditions experience loneliness across life stages. Insights from this study fill some of the evidence gaps highlighted in the tackling loneliness evidence review.