22% of students say they ‘often’ feel lonely, with a further 4% saying they ‘always’ feel lonely, according to a new report into applicants and students at UK universities.

More than 2,500 students were surveyed on loneliness in the New Realists report, by Unite Students in conjunction with HEPI and YouthSight, released today.

Loneliness carries serious implications for student wellbeing

Follow-up questions highlighted the gulf in wellbeing between students that frequently experience loneliness and those that don’t. Just 50% of lonely students reported feeling happy, compared to 77% of those that only felt occasional loneliness, while 57% of regularly lonely students felt that life was worthwhile compared to 85% of their less lonely peers.

The report encourages that universities consider adopting ‘re-fresher’ weeks to help students integrate later into the year, and notes that students prefer not to learn alone in front of a screen.

Download the report from Unite now; and read GSL News’ tips for preventing student isolation here.