The UK is in the midst of a loneliness epidemic.

Recent research from the Office for National Statistics has revealed a staggering 10 per cent of 16 to 24-year-olds regularly feel lonely – three times the amount of Brits over 64.

Health professionals have even called for loneliness to be deemed a public health hazard as further studies have deemed it more dangerous than smoking and obesity on your health.

New research from Kings College London has looked at the detrimental effects of loneliness in young people and has found that not only can it impact your mental wellbeing, but your physical wellbeing too.

Published in Psychological Medicine, the paper “Lonely young adults in modern Britain: findings from an epidemiological cohort study” asked over 2,000 18 year olds about how lonely they feel and the impact this has on their lives.

The researchers found links between the loneliest respondents and physical health, with these participants less likely to be physically active, more likely to smoke and more likely to use technology compulsively – even favouring technology over other activities and obligations.

These respondents were also twice as likely to have anxiety, depression and other mental health issues.

Studies like these are just touching the surface on the enormity of the UK’s loneliness epidemic. There’s a high chance people you know might be feeling this way, so make sure you check in with your loved ones, especially the young people in your life, to see if they need someone to talk to