Have you ever felt lonely, even though you’re surrounded by thousands of university students on a weekly basis? According to a new mental health report, you’re not the only one.
A study released by the Canadian Association of College and University Student Services found that almost 70 per cent of Canadian post-secondary students surveyed felt strong feelings of loneliness throughout the school year.
The recently completed National College Health Assessment survey (NCHS) was issued to students at 41 Canadian institutions. According to the survey results, about 69 per cent of female students felt “very lonely” at least once in the past 12 months, with male students at 59 per cent.
Roughly 20 per cent of males said they “felt things were hopeless” in the last two weeks, while more than 25 per cent of females indicated the same response.
The study, which took place this past spring, focused on gathering information on student health behaviours, mental health, dating, domestic and sexual violence, and alcohol use.
The survey was delivered online to more than 43,000 students, and had a response rate of around 19 per cent, according to a release from the NCHS.
“How it was done here at [the University of Toronto] is that students were randomly selected,” said Janine Robb, executive director of health and wellness at the University of Toronto.
Robb said most students in the survey were selected among each year of study from undergraduate and graduate students.
Health and Counselling Services at Carleton University aim to find care and solutions for students who are feeling lonely during the school year.
“Loneliness is one of many things students come in for,” said Patty Allen, a mental health nurse for Carleton’s health and counselling services.
According to Allen, most clients she sees would not identify as being lonely, but rather that loneliness would be just one of the symptoms they are experiencing.
Students today are more isolated than ever, she said, because they are spending more time online, and added she has seen cases where a student had not interacted socially with others for weeks at a time.
First-year students, particularly those who live off-campus, may experience increased feelings of loneliness, she said.
For students who feel lonely, she recommended they become more engaged and involved socially.
“Getting involved goes a long way to improving your mental health,” she said.
She also said students who choose to live on campus tend to adjust to university life much quicker, as they are presented with more opportunities for social interaction. It may take a student in residence a month to stop feeling something like homesickness, but it could take someone living off campus as long as three months.
