Loneliness and Lack of Social Connection Impact Irish Youth, Warns Psychoanalyst Noctor
Child psychoanalyst Colman Noctor warns that Irish youth face increasing loneliness and lack of social connection, citing 20 years of the Growing Up in Ireland study. He notes a shift from anxiety to loneliness in 18-24 year olds and predicts technology will exacerbate this. The study, which surveyed 32,000 children, highlights the importance of community and protective factors for vulnerable youth.
Colman Noctor, a leading child and adolescent psychoanalyst, warned that Irish children and young people are struggling with loneliness and a lack of social connection. His remarks came at the launch of the anniversary campaign for the Growing Up in Ireland study, attended by Minister for Children Norma Foley at the Royal College of Physicians in Dublin.
Noctor highlighted 20 years of research from the study, emphasizing that children thrive with connection, belonging, strong relationships, and community. He noted that society is becoming increasingly individualized, weakening community structures and replacing shared time with fragmented interactions. While anxiety was the primary issue for young people over the last decade, loneliness has replaced it for those aged 18-24 in the past two years. He anticipates this challenge will worsen with AI development.
Senior researcher Aisling Murray and Noctor referenced a 2007 letter from a 9-year-old girl, who wished for more playgrounds and a «big fun centre for children,» underscoring the need to protect real-world spaces for youth to gather. The Growing Up in Ireland study, run by the Department of Children and the Central Statistics Office, has surveyed 32,000 children across three generations (born 1998, 2008, 2024) to inform public policy.
Charlotte Silke presented findings on vulnerable children, showing that over one in four children struggled at age 25, with 40% of those identified as at-risk at age nine continuing to struggle, compared to 24% of low-risk children. However, over half of the at-risk group at age nine were doing well by age 35. Protective factors like high educational attainment, strong teacher support, better peer relationships, less parental conflict, and extracurricular participation were linked to better outcomes at age 25, stressing the importance of sustained support.