Lovell, Jonny and Webber, Martin Paul orcid.org/0000-0003-3604-1376 (2023) Adaptation of Connecting People to address loneliness and social isolation in university students: a feasibility study. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management. ISSN 1469-9508
Abstract
University student mental health and wellbeing is a concern, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Loneliness and social isolation are drivers of student mental health problems, amenable to intervention. Connecting People was developed and piloted in health and social care services to support people to enhance their social connections. This paper reports results of a pre-post, single-group evaluation of training provided to 105 people supporting students in a UK university, and the feasibility of using a Connecting People adaptation to reduce student social isolation. Trainee confidence in supporting socially isolated students increased after training and remained high six months post-training. Positive feedback included students making new friends, and helping trainees to break down tackling loneliness and social isolation into manageable steps. Further evaluation is required to test effectiveness, but the model appears feasible to use at minimal cost, and may offer a suitable model to alleviate student social isolation.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2023 The Author(s) |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of York |
Academic Units: | The University of York > Faculty of Social Sciences (York) > Social Policy and Social Work (York) |
Depositing User: | Pure (York) |
Date Deposited: | 04 Aug 2023 11:00 |
Last Modified: | 21 Jan 2025 18:09 |
Published Version: | https://doi.org/10.1080/1360080X.2023.2242079 |
Status: | Published |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1080/1360080X.2023.2242079 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:202109 |