14 March 2024 , 09:48
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A study has found that secondary school pupils who feel lonely are less likely to find jobs when they grow up.
Researchers from King's College London and the University of Greenwich discovered that kids who felt alone at age 12 were more likely to be out of work, education or training (NEET) later in life. They also felt they had a lower social status.
The study, which was published in the journal Social Science and Medicine, suggests that being lonely when you're young can have a direct impact on the economy because it can reduce your chances of getting a job and your social position. The researchers followed 2,232 people born in England and Wales between 1994-1995. They checked how lonely these people felt at ages 12, 18 and 26 and asked them to rate their social status.
They also looked at whether these people had jobs or were in education or training at age 18. The researchers found that even if these young adults no longer felt lonely, if they had felt lonely earlier in life, they still faced challenges in young adulthood.
The study's authors think that if we help young people who feel lonely, it could make them do better at work when they grow up. Bridget Bryan, who led the study and is studying for her PhD at King's IoPPN, said: "While there are clear impacts of loneliness on mental health from an early age, our study demonstrates that loneliness also negatively impacts a person's employment prospects."
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She explained that being lonely can make it harder for someone to get a good job later on, which isn't just bad for them but also costs the economy money.
Professor Louise Arseneault, who helped write the study and teaches developmental psychology at King's IoPPN, said: "If we are to create effective prevention strategies, we need to continue collecting data in order to unravel the long-term outcomes of loneliness at various stages of life."
Dr Timothy Matthews, who teaches psychology at the University of Greenwich and also helped with the study, pointed out: "While we should never forget that loneliness impacts people of all ages, our research suggests that reducing loneliness in children and young people could yield benefits both for their own employment prospects and for the economy more widely."
Geoff Barton, the boss of the Association of School and College Leaders, shared: "This is a very interesting study and highlights the lasting impacts of loneliness an issue that can easily go under the radar but affects many young people."
He added: "It emphasises the importance of the strongly inclusive cultures that schools and colleges work incredibly hard to embed and promote among pupils and students. One of the great strengths of our education system is the opportunity it provides for young people to socialise and form friendships."