The poll by Macmillan Cancer Support found that the average young adult has 237 Facebook friends, but only two they could turn to for real support.
The survey, of 1,000 people aged 18 to 35, found two-thirds of respondents said they had two or fewer really close friends.
It also found that one in eight (13 per cent) admitted they did not have even a single person they considered to be a good enough friend to rely on, if life got very hard.
Men (16 per cent) were more likely than women (12 per cent) to have no one to turn to.
Jeannie Wilkinson, a Relate counsellor who is funded by the cancer charity, said: "It is surprising and concerning that people confide in such a small number of friends and family – and more so that others may not confide in anyone."
She continued: "It is important that, when going through something tough, like a cancer diagnosis and treatment, you can speak openly about what you’re going through to ensure you get the right support you need.
"We meet a lot of patients and people caring for someone with cancer who feel like they need to be ‘strong’ and bottle up their emotions. This causes great strain on relationships."
http://boodleweb.com/bookmarks/view/5156/kia-racing-to-defend-2011-grandam-continental-tire-sports-car-championship
http://www.avtz.com/elgg/bookmarks/view/210/kia-racing-to-defend-2011-grandam-continental-tire-sports-car-championship
http://obsesss.com/elgg/bookmarks/view/338/kia-racing-to-defend-2011-grandam-continental-tire-sports-car-championship
http://elgg.glocalarea.com/bookmarks/view/1492/kia-racing-to-defend-2011-grandam-continental-tire-sports-car-championship