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Students who are socially isolated in secondary school are more likely to be not in education, employment or training (Neet) as they enter adulthood, research shows.

Researchers say their findings mark “the first time the education and employment consequences of childhood social isolation have been identified”.

They emphasise that schools are “often well-placed” to notice when students are “withdrawn or isolated” - and that early interventions by schools can make a big difference to leavers’ prospects.

The analysis by the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London shows that students assessed as socially isolated are more likely to leave school with poorer job prospects and fewer qualifications.

Social isolation in secondary school

Drawing on the of over 2,000 twins born between 1994 and 1996, researchers assessed loneliness and social isolation at age 12, as well as mental health, wellbeing, health behaviours and socioeconomic outcomes at 18.

They found that if young people were socially isolated in early adolescence, they were “significantly more likely to be Neet, have fewer qualifications and be less employable years later, even after accounting for loneliness, mental health and family background”.

, senior author of the report and a professor of developmental psychology at King’s College London, said: “Current UK government support for young people who are Neet has largely focused on building job skills and access to opportunities, but our findings suggest that’s only part of the picture.”

The researchers suggest that “social connection is also part of the picture” when addressing the reasons why young people become Neet.

Schools identifying isolated students

Dr Arseneault, who worked with lead author and co-author on the study, added: “Schools and services are often well-placed to notice when a child is withdrawn or isolated from peers - and addressing that early could make a real difference for a young person’s future.”

Children who experienced social isolation at age 12 were generally more likely to become Neet at 18, but the impact of that social isolation varied depending on whether they also felt lonely at 12.

The report states: “For children who reported no or low levels of loneliness, higher isolation at age 12 was associated with reduced life satisfaction, sleep quality, positive coping behaviours, employability and social status, and increased odds of being Neet as they entered young adulthood.

“Conversely, for children with high levels of loneliness at age 12, social isolation had little impact on these outcomes at age 18, with these children going on to experience poor wellbeing and socioeconomic outcomes no matter their level of isolation at age 12.”

The findings follow a , published in May and led by former Labour health secretary Alan Milburn, which found that the school system did too little to prepare students for work and support those most at risk of unemployment.

The Milburn report stated that, while school “works well” for many who “can see a route into good jobs”, many others experience it “very differently, as ‘traumatic’, ‘stressful’, ‘boring’ and something to be endured rather than embraced”.

The latest estimates from the indicate that more than 1 million people aged 16-24 in the UK were Neet between January and March 2026.

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