Wenig Vanessa, Heinrichs Katherina, Heumann Eileen, Lehnchen Jennifer, Burian Julia, Deptolla Zita, Stock Christiane
Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt- Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Health and Nursing Science, Berlin, Germany.
Health Management, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany.
Front Psychiatry. 2025 Jul 7;16:1469811. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1469811. eCollection 2025.
Using a social-ecological perspective, this study aims to understand loneliness in university students by (1) assessing its prevalence, and (2) identifying inter-personal and organizational factors associated with loneliness during studies.
Data from the StudiBiFra study, a cross-sectional survey among university students in Germany, were used. The sample consisted of 12,874 students from 7 universities, surveyed between May 2022 and March 2023 using the Bielefeld Questionnaire on Study Conditions and Mental Health. Hierarchical logistic regression was employed to examine the associations of individual, inter-personal, and organizational variables with loneliness.
A total of 28.2% of students experienced loneliness during their studies. Gender-diverse students (OR = 1.69; 95% CI: 1.04 - 2.73) and males (OR = 1.43; 95% CI: 1.26 - 1.63), as well as those with poor subjective overall health (OR = 2.62; 95% CI: 2.26 - 3.05), were at high risk of feeling lonely. At the inter-personal level, positive social relationships among students acted as a protective factor against loneliness (OR = 0.31; 95% CI: 0.29 - 0.34). At the organizational level, weak connectedness to the university was positively associated with loneliness (OR = 1.43; 95% CI: 1.23 - 1.67), while high university engagement was negatively associated with loneliness (OR = 0.90; 95% CI: 0.83 - 0.97). Students enrolled in universities of applied sciences were less likely to experience loneliness compared to those at universities (OR = 0.76; 95% CI: 0.63 - 0.91).
The findings underscore the importance of both individual and institutional efforts to address loneliness at German universities, a demand that was accelerated during and after the pandemic. Promoting social connections and strengthening students' ties to their university are important strategies for combating loneliness, highlighting the importance of community-building health promotion.
本研究从社会生态视角出发，旨在通过以下方式了解大学生的孤独感：（1）评估其普遍性；（2）确定学习期间与孤独感相关的人际和组织因素。
使用了来自德国大学生的StudiBiFra研究的横断面调查数据。样本包括来自7所大学的12874名学生，于2022年5月至2023年3月期间使用比勒费尔德学习条件与心理健康问卷进行了调查。采用分层逻辑回归分析个体、人际和组织变量与孤独感之间的关联。
共有28.2%的学生在学习期间感到孤独。性别多样化的学生（比值比[OR]=1.69；95%置信区间[CI]：1.04-2.73）和男性（OR=1.43；95%CI：1.26-1.63），以及主观整体健康状况较差的学生（OR=2.62；95%CI：2.26-3.05），感到孤独的风险较高。在人际层面，学生之间积极的社会关系是抵御孤独感的保护因素（OR=0.31；95%CI：0.29-0.34）。在组织层面，与大学的联系薄弱与孤独感呈正相关（OR=1.43；95%CI：1.23-1.67），而高度参与大学活动与孤独感呈负相关（OR=0.90；95%CI：0.83-0.97）。与综合大学的学生相比，应用科学大学的学生感到孤独的可能性较小（OR=0.76；95%CI：0.63-0.91）。
研究结果强调了个人和机构在解决德国大学孤独感问题上共同努力的重要性，这一需求在疫情期间及之后加速显现。促进社会联系和加强学生与大学的联系是对抗孤独感的重要策略，凸显了社区建设健康促进的重要性。
