Title: Mental Health Leadership Fellow - The impact of social relationships in the 21st century on mental health and wellbeing
Funder: Economic and Social Research Council

Abstract: How we engage in social relationships has changed dramatically over the past few decades. New technologies, increased urbanisation, and the ageing population have all had a profound impact on the way we interact with each other, the implications of which have yet to be fully understood. The proposed research project aims to investigate the influence of social relationships, in a contemporary Britain, as a potentially malleable target for changing and improving the course of mental health and wellbeing throughout the lifespan. Relying on available data from two UK nationally-representative cohorts, and using a life-course approach, this project will examine social isolation and loneliness, cyber harassment, and childhood bullying victimization and will cover mental health and wellbeing from childhood up to midlife. More specifically, analyses will be conducted to (1) generate a profile of loneliness in young adults by looking at their overall wellbeing, mental health, education levels, employment and living circumstances (NEET), and physical health; (2) map "hotspots" of loneliness among young adults, mental health problems, and provision of mental health services in contemporary Britain; (3) examine childhood predictors of social support in adult life and test the buffering effect of social support on mental and physical health at midlife; (3) study the extent of cyber harassment among young adults and test its independent effect on mental health and wellbeing, over and above other forms of victimization; (5) explore the long-term impact of childhood bullying victimization on mental health service use from childhood to adolescence and up to midlife; and (6) estimate the associated individual and societal costs. Childhood bullying victimization is common among youths: according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), one in three children report having been bullied at some point in their lives, with 10% to 14% experiencing chronic bullying lasting for more than six months. It is not surprising that bullying and cyber harassment are the main reason for young people contacting online support services such as Child Line and YoungMinds. This project will engage key stakeholders in considering solutions for reducing individuals' suffering and the burden of bullying victimization on mental health across the lifespan. It will also engage the government and policy makers in considering the individual and societal costs of bullying victimization in the UK. Furthermore, the UK has being described in the press as the "loneliness capital of Europe". According to the Office for National Statistics (2014), UK residents' satisfaction with their social lives is lower than the EU-wide average, and the percentage of the population with access to supportive social relationships is the third lowest of all the 28 EU nations. This project will resonate with the public's concerns around risk associated with developing poor social relationships and finding solutions on how to address these problems from an early age. This project will impact on research by generating new discoveries, exploiting innovative technologies, and maximizing valuable existing data resources. This project is cutting-edge, investigating the emerging topics of youths' loneliness and cyber harassment. Findings will impact interventions and clinical practices by potentially unraveling loneliness and cyber harassment as significant influences on mental health and wellbeing. Ultimately, this project may indicate that positive social relationships represent a target for prevention and intervention strategies. Helping youth developing and maintaining supportive relationships with their peers may be an efficient pathway to promote mental health and wellbeing and also build resilience.


Research activity codes: 2.3 PSYCHOLOGICAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC FACTORS
Health categories: MENTAL HEALTH;GENERIC HEALTH RELEVANCE