Table 2.
The experience of loneliness among young adults in London’s most deprived areas: theme summary.
| 1. Isolation (81%)1 |
| a) Feeling isolated, excluded, or left out |
| b) Sense of loneliness despite being surrounded by people |
| c) Social media and exclusion |
| 2. Negative feelings and thoughts (81%) |
| a) Sadness and depression |
| b) Overthinking, being bothered by one’s thoughts, or mental rumination |
| c) Fear of being judged, excluded, rejected, isolated, or left out |
| d) Worry and anxiety |
| e) Low self-worth, self-esteem, or self-confidence |
| f) Emptiness |
| 3. Coping (54%) |
| a) Coping mechanisms using technology |
| b) Coping mechanisms not using technology |
| 4. Positive orientation to aloneness (56%) |
| a) Positive orientation to aloneness in general |
| b) Time and space for reflection |
| c) The positive experience of social media |
1
This is the proportion of the sample who mentioned the theme.