The number of people in the UK experiencing feelings of loneliness during the pandemic has more than doubled since March 2020 - despite overall anxiety levels decreasing.
A survey conducted by the Mental Health Foundation also found fewer adults felt they were coping well with the stress of the ongoing pandemic compared to last year.
Out of 4,251 adults surveyed in February 2021, more than a quarter said they now felt lonely, up from just 10 per cent last March.
Younger people were also more likely to feel loneliness, with 48 per cent of those surveyed in February reporting feeling alone.
The foundation said that feelings of loneliness had not returned to their pre-lockdown levels at any point over the past year even when most restrictions were lifted over the summer.
Around two thirds (64 per cent) of those surveyed thought they were coping well with the pandemic, down from 73 per cent in last year.
Worryingly, those experiencing suicidal thoughts had also risen year on year from eight per cent to 13 per cent. But overall anxiety about the pandemic has fallen among adults, from 62 per cent of those surveyed in March 2020 to 42 per cent in February 2021.
Dr Antonis Kousoulis, director for England and Wales at the Mental Health Foundation, said it was important for people to remember that the pandemic had affected individuals in different ways.
“What we see (from the study) is a complex picture. On some measures, UK adults are feeling better than in March 2020 but on others, we are feeling no better or worse.
“Fewer of us are feeling anxious about the pandemic but more of us now feel lonely and ground down by the stress of the past year.
“The coronavirus vaccine brings hope. However, for many of us, the next few months, and even years, will remain tough, vulnerable and uncertain.”
The survey highlighted that young adults, aged 18-24-year-olds, full-time students, people who are unemployed, were also significantly more likely to be feeling distressed, across a range of measures, compared with UK adults generally.
Dr Kousoulis added: “One of our key aims, when we launched the study a year ago, was to identify what was happening across the UK population and whether some groups were particularly seriously affected.
“We can now see clearly that among the most seriously affected people are young adults, people who are unemployed and full-time students. In these groups, painful experiences including loneliness, hopelessness and feeling suicidal are much more common.
“This is especially troubling, at a time when unemployment is set to rise. Policymakers must target support at these more vulnerable groups, to help prevent them reaching crisis point.”
* Anyone who needs support with mental health or suicidal thoughts should call Samaritans for free on 116 123 (UK and ROI), or visit the Samaritans website.
