There can only be “an upside” from reaching out and spending some time with older people who may feel lonely or isolated this Christmas, says successful Irish author, Marian Keyes.

One in three adults aged 50 and older feel lonely and one in 10 are socially isolated, it has emerged.

Elderly people who are feeling isolated or lonely are being urged to contact the charity ALONE.

Stress affects many workers, in different ways but in agriculture it can manifest itself in farmers predominantly working alone, which poses a risk to their mental health, according to a pychotherapist Tom Evans.

Health chiefs have been ordered to review the use of isolation units for troubled teenagers in light of a damning inspection of a care home.