10 Ways to Combat Student Loneliness: A Guide for Higher Education Professionals
Mental health has never been more prominent on the higher education agenda. Especially following the COVID-19 pandemic, which ignited important conversations about isolation and loneliness, universities across the board are building wellbeing into their institution-wide strategies for both staff and students.
Yet, despite this sector-wide push to enhance mental health, student loneliness remains a significant concern. A recent YouGov poll found that nearly all students felt lonely at least once during the academic year; however, almost half admitted to having hidden these feelings for fear they would not be understood. These concerning statistics come off the back off other reports in recent years by the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) and the Office for National Statistics (ONS) – so we know that student loneliness is both widely experienced and an issue with roots.
Given the centrality of student loneliness and its potentially detrimental effects on student experience and success, higher education providers have a responsibility to tackle it. Some universities are exploring alterations to the academic experience to combat this; for example, by reducing workload or offering course-based social events to facilitate community and belonging. However, professional services also play a central role in reducing the prominence of loneliness facing the student body.
In this article, we explore 10 ways that service leaders and practitioners can combat student loneliness, drawing on examples from universities that are leading the way. By engaging with these action areas, universities can support their students to build strong communities, engage in student life beyond their course and, as a result, draw greater satisfaction and outcomes from their experience.
1. Facilitate Connections
Loneliness is often felt when students lack the opportunities to connect with others and build communities. Universities, and student services especially, can therefore play an important role in supporting them to build these connections.
One idea could be through the establishment of buddy programmes, which can match students together to provide an immediate source of support. This could be especially powerful for commuter, distance and mature learners, who might otherwise struggle to make use of existing social infrastructures in the university.
Peer mentoring can also help to facilitate connection and support progression. This might look like connecting first and final year students, doctoral students at different stages in their PhD, international students or students from non-traditional backgrounds at different stages in the lifecycle.
Similarly, while societies and clubs are largely the domain of students’ unions (SU), professional services can support their SUs to spread the word. Educate teaching staff on the existence of different groups so they can effectively signpost students based on their interests and characteristics. That way, these opportunities can reach less engaged students for whom the vast majority of their engagement with the institution is via their course.
Finally, supporting academic staff to build connections with their students and encourage them to remain engage is crucial, especially for distance or part-time learners. For further guidance on this, take a look at The Open University’s online course, Developing a Sense of Belonging in Online Distance Learning, which features practical tips and a series of case studies exploring how belonging can be cultivated through online learning experiences.
2. Foster Inclusive Spaces
Inclusivity is a cornerstone of combatting loneliness. When students feel included and welcomed, they are more likely to engage with social activities and build connections with others.
Professional services can lead the way in building inclusive spaces in HE by organising social events for students. These should be separate to the curriculum and engage students based on their personal or extracurricular interests, rather than academic ones. For example, film screenings, game nights and cultural celebrations could bring together students with shared interests who might not otherwise meet as they are on different courses. Be sure to also offer variety and make these events inclusive; for example, making sure the space or activities are set up for neurodiverse students and non-drinking activities are included for students from multi-faith backgrounds.
Similarly, having a dedicated physical space for students to connect managed by student services can be highly beneficial. The University of Edinburgh’s Chaplaincy service hosts a common room with free tea and coffee where students can meet, study and eat lunch. Such spaces should cater to the needs of all students and be well signposted.
Student interactions with staff can also have an impact on their sense of inclusion. In addition to broader equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) initiatives, make sure all staff are trained to identify and support students experiencing loneliness, not just academic staff. This could include creating a guide or compulsory training tailored to staff needs.
Finally, students from all backgrounds are more likely to feel included – and less lonely – when they see themselves represented in the staff they interact with on a daily basis. Service leaders need to make EDI a strategic priority, ensuring their staff can represent and understand the students they work with, and that they, too, feel supported in the work environment.
3. Provide Mental Health Resources
A major challenge to tackling loneliness in HE is resourcing for mental health support. Financial constraints combined with large demand can mean that staff are thinly spread, waiting times are long and, as a consequence, students experiencing routine loneliness can fall through the gaps. However, there are ways that services can combat this aside from increasing the access and availability of individual counselling sessions.
Firstly, mental health workshops that cover topics such as stress management and coping skills can be beneficial as they provide students with the skills and tools to maintain their wellbeing. And, when students’ general wellbeing is enhanced, they’re less likely to experience negative emotions such as loneliness. Workshops also require less resourcing than one-on-one sessions and may reduce demand for services – although don’t forget to evaluate these interventions to ensure they’re having their desired impact. For inspiration, take a look at LSE’s roster of workshops, which include sessions on reflective journalling, improving sleep and breathing exercises to reduce stress.
Services should also try to promote help-seeking behaviours in students. This may seem counterproductive given the already high demand for mental health services, but seeking help doesn’t simply mean getting students to engage with services; it also refers to how students support one another, which can serve to reduce loneliness and isolation. Services can do this by working to reducing the stigma around mental health. Consider asking senior leaders and student representatives to pitch in and communicate about the importance of wellbeing and establish the university as a supportive community.
Lastly, services tackle the connected issues of resourcing and student loneliness by training wider members of staff beyond wellbeing services to recognise potentially at-risk students and provide support. The University of Greenwich, for example, runs a series of free wellbeing programmes for their staff, while UCL offers staff the opportunity to train as mental health first aiders. By training other members of staff to step in when loneliness and mental health crises strike, services can enhance the reach and impact of their services and support students through tough times.
4. Leverage Technology
Online platforms can be great for facilitating connections between students and combatting loneliness – especially for those who don’t spend a much time on campus.
Another option to consider could be mobile apps. These apps could contain resources and information about relevant events that could support students who might be feeling lonely – for example, Staffordshire University’s app, Beacon, is stylised as a ‘digital friend’ who supports students throughout their studies, providing personalised timetables, enabling contact with personal tutors and outlining information about campus facilities and services. This encourages students to seek help and facilities where required and build confidence navigating the institution which, in turn, can help to reduce loneliness.
Virtual events can bring together students when time on campus isn’t always realistic. Make sure these are accessible (for example, using closed captions or transcription) and provide opportunities for students to chat and connect (an after-event networking platform may also be useful).
A call can also go a long way in reducing loneliness. Aside from offering virtual counselling options, a student helpline could be especially impactful as loneliness isn’t felt only during working hours. The University of Bath offer a free, confidential support line, Be Well-Talk Now, which students can contact for support or advice 24/7.
However, while technology can be great, it’s key to remember the importance of human connection when it comes to tackling loneliness – so, don’t depend on it too closely to support lonely students. These tools are best used to reinforce, promote or create in-person connections and build communities.
5. Address Specific Needs
Not all students experience loneliness equally. The YouGov poll found that female and disabled students were much more likely than their peers to report feeling lonely. Similarly, specific groups of students – such as international, mature and LGBTQ+ students – may face additional barriers to belonging and inclusion, which could result in feelings of loneliness.
International students have often left behind their families and friends to come and study in the UK, which makes them particularly susceptible to loneliness. Consider offering streamlined support for international students and running cultural events where they can connect with others. Language exchange opportunities can also increase their interaction with home students and bolster their confidence in English, all helping to subdue feelings of loneliness.
Being a mature student can be isolating as it can be difficult to connect with younger peers when you have different life experiences and priorities. Work with your SU to set up groups where mature students can meet one another. Make sure to consider the different challenges these students might face; for example, mature students are more likely to be time poor and having caring responsibilities. Is there childcare support available to these students? Are they able to connect with other students who are parents?
As these examples show, each group of students come with a specific set of challenges – and don’t forget that some students will belong to multiple groups. Make sure to signpost these groups and provide staff across the university with relevant information. For a comprehensive list of ways to support specific kinds of students, take a look at the University of Bath’s support services, which includes a talk club for male-identifying students, a Black Students Network and a Doctoral Café for PhD students.
6. Partner with External Organisations
External organisations can offer a wealth of knowledge and resources when it comes to tackling student loneliness. Mental health charities such as Student Space and Student Minds offer plenty of support for students as well as relevant research and resources for university staff. Partner with these organisations and signpost students towards their support to help them fight feelings of loneliness.
Loneliness can also be reduced when students engage with the wider community beyond the university. Volunteering and gaining work experience with local charities and businesses can be a great way for students to meet new people whilst also building transferable skills and enhance their graduate outcomes. Careers and employability services can facilitate these opportunities and incentivise them, as the University of Westminster’s Student Volunteering Service does via awards and certificates.
Let’s also not forget the importance of student accommodation services. Mental health starts at home and if a student’s living situation is causing them distress or isolation, they’re more likely to feel alone. Halls of residence should be designed with community in mind – for example, activities and events (especially if they involve free food!). Accommodation services should also consider working with external providers to create more inclusive and sociable living environments.
7. Conduct Research and Evaluation
Understanding the extent and causes of loneliness in your specific institution helps services to target it effectively. This could include tracking the prevalence of loneliness in your institution. The University of Cambridge partnered with their SU to produce a report, which outlined the unique context of loneliness in the university.
Make sure also to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of interventions designed to reduce loneliness. Cambridge’s report, for instance, outlined an approach to building a student loneliness strategy based on the findings of the research. For example, a key consideration that the report highlights is the need to identify and tackle feelings of loneliness, which prompts practitioners to look at aspects of the student experience such as the tutorial system. When developing a strategy, action points and considerations should include clearly defined roles and responsibilities, so tasks and targets can be tracked back to key stakeholders.
8. Promote Open Communication
As the YouGov poll showed, feelings of loneliness are widespread, yet students still fear they won’t be understood if they express them. So, the first step for services seeking to reduce student loneliness is by normalising conversations about it. Encourage open dialogue about loneliness by getting high visibility stakeholders to engage in the conversation, such as senior leaders, academic colleagues and student representatives.
You could also do this by developing awareness campaigns, which can be especially impactful when delivered in partnership with SUs. Take a look at Edinburgh’s Let’s Talk campaign and Northampton’s dedicated Loneliness Week for inspiration.
And, last but not least, seek to empower students to advocate for their own needs and wellbeing. By providing forums and student representation for students to communicate their mental health needs, isolation and loneliness can become present on the agenda – and, as a result, a strategic priority for universities.
9. Invest in Staff Training
The work of reducing loneliness shouldn’t fall only to wellbeing services and SUs. As discussed above, training staff to identify loneliness, offer support and refer students to relevant support can deliver a more holistic approach.
This training should always centre empathy as an approach. Investing in coaching for student-facing staff can help them to be more empathetic and supportive for students feeling alone. For further guidance on this, see Grit Breakthrough Programme’s HE Professional webinar on coaching as a mindset.
In addition to this, professional services can also tackle loneliness by supporting academic colleagues to develop inclusive teaching practices. Disability and inclusion services should work with teaching staff to design and deliver accessible courses and modules that work for all students’ needs.
10. Build a Culture of Inclusion
Student loneliness is a major issue in the sector, so tackling it requires a high-stakes, large-scale approach; essentially, universities need to make inclusivity a strategic priority.
The first step is securing senior leadership buy-in. These highly visibly stakeholders can advocate the importance of tackling loneliness whilst also support with resourcing and policies to deliver on priorities.
Secondly, a collaborative approach is necessary. This means breaking down silos – between professional services and academic departments, as well as between different service providers.
And, of course, review is crucial to ensuring a culture of continual improvement. Gather data and feedback from your interventions to reduce loneliness. Many institutions are now favouring a theory of change approach, which can help close the gap between desired goals and the delivery of services.
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This comprehensive guide has explored 10 action areas for professionals seeking to reduce student loneliness in higher education. By implementing these strategies, professional services can play a crucial role in fostering a more connected and supportive environment for all students, thereby combating loneliness and promoting wellbeing.
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