One in seven young Scots has nobody to turn to in a time of crisis, a survey has suggested.

A poll of 1000 people aged 18-35 conducted by Macmillan Cancer Support found that the average young Scot has 255 Facebook friends, but nearly a quarter (24%) said they could turn to only one friend when faced with a serious problem, and 14% said they had nobody at all.

The research was commissioned to coincide with Cancer Talk Week, which begins on Monday, to highlight the difficulties young people face in seeking support when they or a loved one are diagnosed with cancer.

The research also found that Scots speak to their mothers the most, with 36% speaking to their mother daily and 23% every other day.

Despite the boom in social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, nearly half (49%) said they talk to their friends just as much as they did before.

Elspeth Atkinson, of Macmillan Cancer Support for Scotland and Northern Ireland, 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.

"It is important that, when going through something tough, like themselves or a family member receiving a cancer diagnosis, young people speak openly about what they're going through to ensure they get the right support they need.

"We meet a lot of patients and family members who feel like they need to be 'strong' and bottle up their emotions. This causes great strain on relationships."