Most young people expect university to provide some structure to help them make friends, be that sitting next to people in class or chatting to the people waiting in the corridor for a seminar. Sadly, for many this just doesn’t happen; with large cohorts, it can feel like you never see the same person twice. Students are having to learn new ways to connect and make friends, and this is not easy. We have developed the U-Belong toolkit to help students build a stronger sense of community.
Dr Nicola Byrom, U-Belong Principal Investigator and Reader in Psychology at King’s IoPPN
09 September 2024
U-Belong project teams up with UK students to combat loneliness at university
The King’s-led U-Belong project has launched a new interactive toolkit to equip students with the tools they need to build a sense of belonging at university.
Launching today, the toolkit was co-created by over 40 student research assistants from universities across the UK, in collaboration with researchers, who have combined the latest evidence with personal experiences to develop relevant and informative content.
It includes personalised guidance, practical tips and student stories across a range of topics, such as anxiety and low mood, disability, making friends as an international student, financial difficulties, neurodiversity, and more.
Previous research has shown that loneliness is linked with poor mental health among students. U-Belong is an interdisciplinary project led by researchers at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London which aims to combat loneliness among university students. Last year, the team conducted a survey across over 40 UK universities revealing that almost one in four students don’t feel they belong at university.
Dr Nicola Byrom, U-Belong Principal Investigator and Reader in Psychology at King’s IoPPN, said:
“Starting university is a big deal. For most students it involves a significant life change, including changes in friendship networks. Particularly for students used to the structure of school, and opportunity to make friends in the classroom, university can feel overwhelming."
The toolkit is part of the new student-led U-Belong campaign which aims to unite the UK student community and build a sense of belonging by sharing experiences, guidance and resources.
Alongside the toolkit, students can complete a survey about their experiences of university. Their responses will guide personalised toolkit topic suggestions most relevant to each student’s circumstances and reported challenges. This will help students pinpoint and access the support they need to settle into university life smoothly.
The U-Belong team has been developing this survey and toolkit over the last 18 months to better understand student loneliness, and will be testing it through the U-Belong campaign.
I am deeply invested in the U-Belong campaign because it addresses the critical issue of loneliness among university students, a key factor in mental health. This campaign is important in uniting the student community to share experiences and resources, ensuring that every student feels connected and supported throughout their university journey.
2nd Year student at Loughborough University and one of the student research assistants
The U-Belong team has been investigating loneliness among university students since 2022, funded by the Medical Research Council. They are continuing to investigate the factors that predict student loneliness and explore how different students experience belonging and loneliness at university.
For more information, please contact Milly Remmington (School of Mental Health & Psychological Sciences Communications Manager).
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Reader in Psychology