Early Social Connection Program Helps Ease Student Loneliness

Loneliness is quietly shaping the college experience for many students — and not in a good way. Now, researchers at Radboud University in the Netherlands say a simple, early push to help students connect with one another can make a real difference.

In a new study published in the economics journal ESB, the team tested a preventive program called REconnect and found that students who took part reported higher life satisfaction and slightly lower loneliness afterward.

The work responds to troubling numbers from the Trimbos Institute, which has found that about 65% of university students feel at least somewhat lonely. That isolation does not just hurt mental health; it can also drag down academic performance and limit future career prospects.

Universities have been rolling out more mental health initiatives in recent years, from counseling services to peer support groups. But there is still limited evidence on which approaches actually work, especially when budgets are tight.

First author Jana Vyrastekova, an associate professor in economic theory and policy at Radboud University, noted that reality shaped their approach.

“Due to cutbacks in higher education, it is important that the initiatives chosen can be demonstrably successful. That is why we developed and evaluated REconnect for students at Radboud University,” she said in a news release.

REconnect is designed as a preventive intervention: instead of waiting until students are in crisis, it tries to strengthen social ties and a sense of inclusion early, before loneliness becomes entrenched.

Students who joined the program took part in a five-week series of activities.

“This included three plenary meetings with speakers who talked about their own setbacks. In addition, randomly assembled groups of students were given challenges to carry out together. Groups of four or five students were put together via WhatsApp and encouraged to cook or go for a walk together, for example,” added co-author Natascha Wagner, a professor of international economics at Radboud University.

The findings were encouraging, according to Vyrastekova.

The idea was straightforward: bring students together in small, mixed groups, give them low-pressure reasons to meet up, and normalize talking about struggles by having speakers share their own setbacks.

Before the program started, the students who signed up actually reported feeling more lonely on average than a control group that did not participate. Many were clearly looking for connection; about 80% said they joined to meet new people.

After the five weeks, the researchers found that the group’s average life satisfaction had increased significantly compared with their own scores before the intervention. Their feelings of loneliness also decreased slightly.

In the context of student mental health, even small changes can matter. Loneliness is linked to higher risks of depression and anxiety, and it can make it harder for students to stay engaged in classes, join campus life, or ask for help when they need it.

The team also learned that how a program is framed and delivered can be just as important as what it offers. Many students are reluctant to seek formal mental health support because of stigma or fear of being judged. REconnect was designed to feel accessible and nonclinical — more like a social opportunity than a therapy group.

One participant captured that appeal by noting that everyone who showed up was clearly open to making new friends, which made it easier to reach out and connect.

The researchers emphasize that no single program can solve the complex problem of student well-being. Loneliness is tied to many factors, including housing, finances, academic pressure and social media use, and it often requires a mix of supports.

Vyrastekova stressed that point while still highlighting the promise of targeted, low-cost efforts.

“Improving student wellbeing requires a comprehensive approach, and one programme is not enough. But we hope that our findings are a concrete example of how you can reduce loneliness even with limited resources,” she said.

For campuses looking for practical steps, the study suggests several takeaways:

• Start early, before students become deeply isolated.
• Focus on peer connection and shared activities, not just information sessions.
• Make participation easy and low-stigma, such as organizing through familiar tools like messaging apps.
• Include honest stories about setbacks to normalize struggle and reduce shame.

As universities continue to grapple with rising reports of stress and loneliness, programs like REconnect point toward a hopeful message: small, intentional efforts to help students find one another can add up to meaningful gains in how they feel about their lives.

The Radboud team’s work also underscores a broader shift in how higher education thinks about mental health. Instead of viewing it only as an individual issue, more institutions are beginning to see connection, community and a sense of belonging as central to student success.

What happens next will likely involve adapting and testing similar interventions in different settings and with diverse student groups. The researchers hope their results will encourage other universities to evaluate their own initiatives and invest in approaches that can be shown to work.

For students arriving on campus, that could mean more chances to cook a meal with new classmates, take a walk with someone they just met or sit in a room where people are honest about the challenges they face — and, in the process, feel a little less alone.

Source: Radboud University