Matt Dionne | Sports and Health Editor
Featured illustration: Loneliness can lead to more debilitating mental disorders that can impede a student’s ability to function. | Jasmine Wiradharma
People often refer to post-secondary as the best years of their life, and it’s not hard to see why: many don’t have the opportunity to experience true freedom until they move out of their parents’ home and go away for school.
However, this can be a double-edged sword, as many students have reported feeling lonely or isolated during their time at university. This can lead to deeper emotional and mental problems.
A recent study by the National College Health Assessment surveyed 43,000 Canadian university students regarding feelings of loneliness and depression.
According to the study, 66 per cent of students reported feeling “very lonely” during the last year. The study also found that feelings of loneliness affect female students more than male students: 70 per cent of females reported feelings of isolation at least once in the last year, compared to 59 per cent of males.
In addition to feeling lonely, many students also experienced strong feelings of depression.
Almost half of the students surveyed said they felt “debilitatingly depressed,” and 44 per cent “felt so depressed that it was difficult to function.”
“I have felt isolated during university, especially in my first semester at York. The transition between high school and university is huge. It can be very daunting, especially if your friends go down different paths,” says second-year psychology student Aisha Nasim.
Many people look down on frosh as a week-long alcohol-fueled party. But Jan Byrd, director of the University of Winnipeg’s wellness and student life program, feels it’s a key part of adjusting to university life.
“We do quite a few things differently to welcome our first-year students and try and alleviate that loneliness,” said Byrd.
“We know that students are more likely to stay here and persist and do well in their studies if they have a network of supports, so we try to create many opportunities so people can make a network and make connections on campus so that things don’t hit a crisis,” she adds.
David Ness, University of Manitoba director of student counselling, thinks increasing social anxiety rates in youth contribute to feelings of loneliness in students. He also believes electronic devices can negatively impact students’ abilities to develop relationships with others.
Ness suggests joining groups on campus or reaching out to counsellors, who can help students develop necessary coping and interpersonal skills needed to communicate with others.
Joining groups on campus was helpful for Nasim in overcoming her feelings of loneliness. She says that once she took an interest in campus activities, she started connecting with like-minded individuals and developing meaningful friendships.
If you’re experiencing feelings of extreme loneliness or depression, you should reach out to counselling services at the Bennett Centre, or call the Ontario Post-Secondary Student Helpline, Good 2 Talk, at 1-866-925-5454.
