UK bank first direct reveals Brits take almost a year to build trust with someone new

Britons are slow to build trust outside of their family and close friends and aren’t likely to share their personal problems, according to new research into trust and wellbeing by first direct.

More than two thirds (67%) say they trust their family, but less than half would trust them with personal issues (46%) and financial issues (41%). Two thirds (61%) said they wouldn’t trust family with their mental health issues.

The report also revealed on average it takes people 11 months to build a trusting relationship with people after meeting them and more than double that (26 months) for online relationships.

The top qualities for building a trusting relationship were loyalty (63%) and reliability (59%). As such, more than a third (35%) of people said that they couldn’t trust someone again once their trust had been broken.

The top ten most trusted groups in the UK:

Women placed significantly more trust in friends and family compared with men, and were also far more likely to confide their problems in someone close. Over half of all women (52%) would trust their parents with personal problems and 61% trust their friends, compared to just 39% of men who would share the same issues with family and 47% with friends.

Demonstrating that more is still required to address mental health awareness and acceptance, only a third of men trust parents or friends with their mental health issues, compared to just under half of all women. Only 12% of people would trust their employers with knowing about their mental health.

Financial issues fared slightly better with 35% of men trusting their parents with financial problems compared to 46% of women. However, men are less likely to open up to friends about their finances with only one in five men trusting friends, compared to one in three women.

Joe Gordon, Head of first direct, said: “Trust is pretty hard earned in the UK, which can be a good thing in terms of protecting ourselves, especially online. But building trust with people and businesses plays a significant role in our overall wellbeing, allowing us to grow in confidence and feel secure.

“At first direct we understand how important trust is to our customers, which is why we are dedicated to offering a safe and secure digital service backed up amazing people 24/7.”