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UK News

Loneliness figures prompt young adult work warning from Christian expert

The founding director of Think Twice has spoken after new figures reveal those aged between 25 and 34 years old are twice as likely to have no one to spend Christmas with compared to those aged 65 and above.

Speaking on Premier's News Hour, Rachael Newham, said: "If people have perhaps moved away from their home and then might be working over the Christmas period, then they're not able to get home in the way that perhaps people who are higher up in their carer might [do]."

"I think this might have a huge impact on these figures."

The research from the mental health charity, Mind - which involved more than 2,000 adults - found ten per cent of so-called millennials could be on their own for Christmas, compared with five per cent for pensioners.

Twenty-four year old Caitlin Maggs, who contacted Mind last December, said: "Every year [at Christmas], there is extra pressure to be happy, to have love surround you - and for me, it feels the loneliest because of this.

"The media create this 'perfect' vision of a family Christmas - and it's an ideal that has hung over me and made me very miserable."

Stephen Buckley, Head of Information for Mind, said: "For most people Christmas is something to look forward to, a time for celebration and relaxation.

"Our research suggests, however, that for Millennials the festive period can actually be more stressful than other times of the year, with financial concerns and the pressure of social media all adding to a sense of worry during the festive period."

Speaking about how social media use can sometimes be unhelpful, Rachael Newham from Think Twice added: "When you're seeing lots of happy families [online] and lots of festivities going on but perhaps you're stick on your own, I think it does heighten [loneliness]".

Click here to listen to Rachael Newham speaking with Premier's Marcus Jones:

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