Talking Therapies: The friendship crisis – Why are men so lonely?

Do we need friends?

Research suggests that friendships can be beneficial for your health. A 2005 Australian Longitudinal Study of Ageing uncovered that people with more friends outlive those with less by 22%.

With one in eight men reporting having ‘no close friends’ and the chance of friendlessness increasing with age, how can we combat the crisis?

In this episode, Matt Nicholls sits down with UKCP psychotherapist Noel Bell to find out. Listen here:

In her feature for Psychologies Magazine our CEO, Professor Sarah Niblock, writes: ‘Due to prevailing social stereotypes, it can be viewed as a sign of weakness for men to admit they have a problem, express their deepest feelings or discuss a serious personal topic.’

'Why do men feel so alone?' article

You can also read Noel’s blog where he looks at the pressures and expectations of today’s modern man.