#TakeTheTime - Loneliness in the young

Northsound News has this week launched the #TakeTheTime campaign as we investigate the epidemic of loneliness.

We're looking to encourage you to become a befriender - and you can sign up as one here.

If you can spare just a couple of hours each week you can make a big difference to the life of someone in need.

Loneliness is a problem that affects all age groups - and today we're looking at how it impacts young people.

Research suggests that half of 18-24 years olds who feel lonely experience depression, so the impact on mental well-being can be severe.

Young people find themselves in this situation for all sorts of reasons.

Sarah Smith had her first child when she was 18, and ended up feeling incredibly lonely.

She's spoken to our reporter Hope Webb.

We've also spoken to a 20-year-old man - who we're not naming - who felt increasingly isolated when he came out as gay.

He said: "In primary six I ran out of school and told my mum I was gay and she said 'oh don't be silly' and I thought nothing of it because I was young, just a kid.

"I realised in first year that I was (gay) and when I told my mum she told me to go to bed and go to sleep."

From there, his situation became even more difficult: "I went from having a good group of friends in primary to having nobody at all.

"Not even my sisters would speak to me for some strange reason.

"I was always so close to my mum because all that I had was my mum.

"I've never known my dad, my stepdad died when I was quite young so it was always just me and my mum.

"I felt so upset. I was always her number one son but not any more."