Picture this.
Your child is surrounded by classmates at school. Or scrolling through endless social feeds. Maybe even chatting with a friend over FaceTime.
Yet inside, they feel utterly alone.
It sounds impossible — but it’s real. And right now, it’s happening to a staggering number of young people.
A new study by the BACP has uncovered something every parent needs to hear: 72% of 16–25-year-olds say loneliness is harming their mental health. That’s higher than any other age group, and dramatically above the national average.
The reasons? They’re a perfect storm.
These aren’t just statistics. They’re indicators of an emotional landscape shaped by disconnection, economic pressure and an uncertain sense of the future.
It’s tempting to believe “my child has plenty of mates,” or “they’re always chatting on their phone.”
But loneliness doesn’t always look like isolation.
A young person can appear busy, social, even popular — yet feel invisible, misunderstood, or deeply disconnected underneath.
That disconnect is what makes loneliness so dangerous. It can fuel anxiety, depression, self-doubt, and leave a young person without the courage to ask for help.
At Synapse, we see this every day. Teenagers and young adults who are exhausted by holding it all together, craving connection but too overwhelmed to reach for it.
You can’t force a friend group, but you can build the conditions for connection.
✅ Stay curious — Check in, without judgment, about how your child really feels in their friendships.
✅ Talk about loneliness — Name it, normalise it, and remind them it happens to everyone sometimes.
✅ Model connection — Show them that investing in relationships — offline — is worth the effort.
✅ Spot the red flags — Withdrawal, constant phone scrolling, sudden disinterest in things they loved, or repeated “I’m fine” responses? These can all mask loneliness.
✅ Act early — If you sense your child is struggling, don’t wait. Proactive support — like coaching — can help them build social confidence, self-worth, and coping strategies before things spiral.
We know that loneliness can be hard to spot and even harder to talk about. That’s why our behavioural health coaches build relationships rooted in empathy, trust and understanding.
Our Coaches help young people rebuild social confidence, find their voice and strengthen their coping skills. So they can reconnect — with themselves, and with the world around them.
Because no one should feel alone in their struggle.
Let’s talk. Our team can help you explore whether behavioural health coaching is the bridge your child needs to build confidence, connection, and resilience.
