Loneliness is painfully common among young people compared to other age groups in the UK – with one in 10 between the ages of 10 to 15 saying they often feel lonely.

So a new national programme working with schools to identify children aged nine to 13 who feel lonely or isolated is most welcome.

The children will be connected to a link worker who will ‘prescribe’ an activity which is tailored to their interests and support them in engaging with that activity.

So what kind of activities are there? The list includes gardening, fishing, attending museums, as well arts and sports clubs offered to children and adolescents who report high levels of loneliness as part of a new four-year project led by University College London researchers.

Co-principal investigator Dr Daniel Hayes, of the UCL Department of Behavioural Science & Health, explains: “In our project, a link worker will meet the young person for six to eight sessions, learning what matters most to them and what their gifts and strengths are in order to provide tailored support, linking them with local organisations and activities that will be of interest to them.”

Co-principal investigator Professor Daisy Fancourt, of the same UCL department, emphasises: “Friendships and social connections are cornerstones of healthy adolescent development.

“If young people are lonely, they are at increased risk of developing depression, physical problems such as poor sleep, and later ill health, including cardiovascular disease”.

The research team will compare outcomes such as wellbeing, less loneliness, and academic achievement among these children with the outcomes of a control group of youngsters who were signposted to an activity but not given extra support from the link worker over the course of a year. The team is currently recruiting 12 primary and secondary schools for the pilot phase of the project, starting this year, with the aim of later expanding to 30 schools across the UK next year.

Dr Hayes said: “Loneliness has become an increasing problem among adolescents in the UK. This problem is especially acute in cities and in children from disadvantaged backgrounds”.

His study will assess how effective social prescribing is in reducing loneliness and mental health difficulties, enhancing wellbeing and improving academic attendance and attainment, as well as how cost effective it is.

In an Office for National Statistics survey released in 2018, 11.3% of 10 to 15 year olds in the UK reported feeling lonely often, rising to 19.5% of children living in a city and 27.5% of children on free school meals.

Loneliness among adolescents has also increased worldwide. Between 2012 and 2018, loneliness at school increased in 36 out of 37 countries.