Over half of Scots are socialising less due to the rising cost of living
A YouGov survey also found around a third of us feel more lonely now than during the Covid pandemic
A third of Scots feel lonelier now than they did this time last year during the covid pandemic, according to a YouGov survey.
More than 84% of the participants agreed loneliness is still a problem, even though Covid restrictions have eased.
Nearly nine out of ten of those surveyed agreed that the rising cost of living will make people lonelier.
Out of the 1,000 adults asked, three fifths said they sometimes, often or always feel lonely,
Over half said they are now socialising less because of increasing costs.
The research was carried out for the British Red Cross on loneliness week.
The charity has warned that the rising cost of living could lead to greater social isolation.
Policy and public affairs manager with the British Red Cross, Kenneth Watt, said:
"Too many people are lonely in Scotland, and this has only got worse since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
"These latest findings show that the rising cost of living is also leading to greater social isolation."
While he said that "everybody can get lonely", Mr Watt added that there were "many simple steps to better protect people" from this.
He said the British Red Cross is "committed to ensuring that people have somewhere to turn to."
He added:
"Now is the time to think about the kind of society we want to become as we face these challenges and emerge from them on the other side.
"It is vital that support is targeted at the most vulnerable and that further efforts are made to ensure all of us enjoy those quality human connections that enrich our lives."
Anyone aged 18 or over in Scotland who is struggling with loneliness or social isolation can contact the British Red Cross' Connecting With You service on 0300 30 36 077 between 10am and 4pm, Monday to Friday.
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