Charity survey finds a quarter of British parents feel isolated and lonely

The charity Action for Children commissioned a survey of more than 2000 British parents with some surprising results. The survey found that 24% of British parents feel lonely and isolated, regularly feeling cut off from friends and other sources of support, with 22% saying these feelings got worse after they became a parent. For those surveyed, 32% of parents with three or more children felt regularly cut off from support and social interaction, compared with 26% of parents who have two children and 22% of those with only one child.

Over half of the parents in the survey (57%) said they felt it was important that they have friends in their social network who are also parents, as this was seen as a good supportive network to rely on. The survey also revealed that more than a third (37%) of parents aged 18-34 regularly feel cut off compared to less than a tenth (8%) of those aged 55 or above.

Loneliness or lack of support can be just two of the many factors which lead to parents separating or divorcing, with the children sometimes getting caught in the middle of the crossfire. Anyone who is considering whether separation or divorce is right for them should seek legal advice.

Amanda Erskine is a solicitor in our family team.

Solicitors Ipswich Suffolk – for more information on our range of legal services, please call the team on 01473 611211 or email [email protected]