The DOI matches its Crossref record; 33 of the 33 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Relationship between loneliness and mental health in students
Open accessAbstract
Purpose: Previous cross-sectional research has examined the effect of loneliness on mental health. The purpose of this paper is to examine longitudinal relationships in students. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 454 British undergraduate students completed measures of loneliness and mental health at four time points. Findings: After controlling for demographics and baseline mental health, greater loneliness predicted greater anxiety, stress, depression and general mental health over time. There was no evidence that mental health problems increased loneliness over time. There was no relationship with alcohol problems. Baseline loneliness predicted greater eating disorder risk at follow-up and vice versa. Research limitations/implications: This study is limited by a relatively small and heavily female sample. Practical implications: Social and psychological interventions to reduce loneliness in university settings may improve mental health. Social implications: Universities should consider organising social activities to mitigate feelings of loneliness in students. Originality/value: This study adds to the literature as a longitudinal analysis showing that loneliness exacerbates poor mental health over time. This also adds to the literature for students specifically, and suggests a possible bi-directional relationship between eating disorders and loneliness for the first time.
Overview
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“Lack of social support and loneliness are, in turn, associated with emotional problems such as anxiety and depression (e.g., Matthews et al., 2019, Richardson et al., 2017).”
From Young Adult Adaptability to the Social Challenges of the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Protective Role of Friendships (2022) · cites this paper as Richardson et al., 2017
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“Earlier studies have demonstrated a strong connection between college students’ experience of loneliness and depression and anxiety [23, 24].”
From Psychological correlates of perceived loneliness in college students before and during the COVID-19 stay-at-home period: a longitudinal study (2023) · cites this paper as [23]
The check wasn’t confident either way, so it gives no verdict — never disputed.
In the citing paper
“Students can experience high levels of social contact but still feel lonely due to cognitive discrepancies between the desired quality of relationships and their actual experiences [22, 23].”
From Psychological correlates of perceived loneliness in college students before and during the COVID-19 stay-at-home period: a longitudinal study (2023) · cites this paper as [23]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Citations
Cites
The CES-D Scale: A Self-Report Depression Scale for Research in the General Population
Radloff, L. S. (1977) · Applied Psychological Measurement · doi:10.1177/014662167700100306 · Cited by 53,267
A Global Measure of Perceived Stress
Cohen, S., Kamarck, T., & Mermelstein, R. (1983) · Journal of Health and Social Behavior · doi:10.2307/2136404 · Cited by 32,807
A Brief Measure for Assessing Generalized Anxiety Disorder: The GAD-7
Spitzer, R. L., Kroenke, K., Williams, J. B. W., & Löwe, B. (2006) · Archives of Internal Medicine · doi:10.1001/archinte.166.10.1092 · Cited by 31,765
SAUNDERS, J. B., AASLAND, O. G., BABOR, T. F., DE LA FUENTE, J. R., & GRANT, M. (1993) · Addiction · doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.1993.tb02093.x · Cited by 13,597
The Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale: concurrent and discriminant validity evidence
Russell, D., Peplau, L. A., & Cutrona, C. E. (1980) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-3514.39.3.472 · Cited by 5,173
The Eating Attitudes Test: psychometric features and clinical correlates
Garner, D. M., Olmsted, M., Bohr, Y., & Garfinkel, P. (1982) · Psychological Medicine · doi:10.1017/s0033291700049163 · Cited by 4,902
Loneliness matters: a theoretical and empirical review of consequences and mechanisms
Hawkley, L. C., & Cacioppo, J. T. (2010) · Annals of Behavioral Medicine · doi:10.1007/s12160-010-9210-8 · Cited by 4,782
A Short Scale for Measuring Loneliness in Large Surveys: Results From Two Population-Based Studies
Hughes, M. E., Waite, L. J., Hawkley, L. C., & Cacioppo, J. T. (2004) · Research on Aging · doi:10.1177/0164027504268574 · Cited by 4,781
Löwe, B., Decker, O., Müller, S., Brähler, E., Schellberg, D., Herzog, W., & Herzberg, P. Y. (2008) · Medical Care · doi:10.1097/mlr.0b013e318160d093 · Cited by 4,527
Cacioppo, J. T., Hughes, M. E., Waite, L. J., Hawkley, L. C., & Thisted, R. A. (2006) · Psychology and Aging · doi:10.1037/0882-7974.21.1.140 · Cited by 2,380
Research works printed but not linked: 2
- 1984, Linear Statistical Models and Related Models
- 1982, Loneliness. A Sourcebook of Current Research and Therapy
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 201–253 of 253
Discursive Psychology and the Study of Loneliness
Oakley, L. (2019) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-35675-0_1
Васильева, О. С., & Соколюк, С. Н. (2019) · CyberLeninK (CyberLeninka)
Ahn, S. H. (2021) · DalSpace (Dalhousie University)
Associations of State and Trait Loneliness with Gender and Psychosocial Factors in Undergraduates
Duman, E. A. (2021) · Boğaziçi Üniversitesi Eğitim Dergisi · doi:10.52597/buje.994847
Lisica, D., Ramakic, E., & Džubur, A. (2021) · Journal of Evolution of Medical and Dental Sciences · doi:10.14260/jemds/2021/758 · Cited by 1
Sujan, M. S. H., Haghighathoseini, A., Tasnim, R., Ripon, R. K., Ripon, S. A., Hasan, M. M., Uddin, M. R., & Ferdous, M. Z. (2022) · medRxiv · doi:10.1101/2022.05.18.22275203
Awuah, J., Adams, C., Asamoah, B. K., & Kwofi, E. A. (2022) · International Journal of Physical Education Sports and Health · doi:10.22271/kheljournal.2022.v9.i6f.2728
Gazadinda, R., Putri, G. W., & Maulana, H. (2023) · Bulletin of Counseling and Psychotherapy · doi:10.51214/bocp.v5i1.448 · Cited by 1
Cooper, L. (2023) · Sheffield Hallam University · doi:10.7190/shu-thesis-00530
A perfekcionizmus személyiségjellemzőkkel való összefüggéseinek vizsgálata fiatal felnőttek körében
Dobos, B. (2022) · SZTE Repository of Dissertations (University of Szeged) · doi:10.14232/phd.11187 · Cited by 1
Relationship between Loneliness and Mental Health among Local University Students
Suhairi, H. M. A., Khatib, N. A. M., Rajaratnam, S., & Hoesni, S. M. (2023) · International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences · doi:10.6007/ijarbss/v13-i12/19791
Psychology Techniques in Education Improve Student Academic Outcomes and Mental Health
Pautz, D., & Honeycutt, C. F. (2023) · IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE) · doi:10.1109/fie58773.2023.10343250 · Cited by 1
McCloud, T. L., James, T., Rowe, S. L., Huntley, J. D., Lewis, G., Callender, C., Johnson, S., & Billings, J. (2024) · medRxiv · doi:10.1101/2024.02.23.24303245
Pinto, R., Albuquerque, P. B., Sousa, B., & Gonçalves, S. F. (2024) · Avances en Psicología Latinoamericana · doi:10.12804/revistas.urosario.edu.co/apl/a.10130
Understanding Higher Education Students' Emotional Wellbeing and Coping Strategies
Olendo, R. A., & Oyoo, S. A. (2024) · Advances in higher education and professional development book series · doi:10.4018/979-8-3693-8860-0.ch015
Exploring Risk Factors of Well-Being of Students in Universities
Aloka, P. J. O., Mnyamana, N., Okongo, C. O., & Orao, R. O. (2024) · Advances in higher education and professional development book series · doi:10.4018/979-8-3693-8860-0.ch004
Brandy, J. M., Kessler, T. A., & Gass, G. (2025) · Issues in Mental Health Nursing · doi:10.1080/01612840.2025.2456181
Fueled from Within: How Meditation Forges the Inner Tools Required for Change
Swami, S., & Steinborn, M. (2025) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-70680-6_20
G4H-S: A Teaching Instrument Enhancing Social Inclusion in First Year Psychology Students
Braun, S., Varol, Y. Z., Horz, H., Haslam, C., Haslam, S. A., & van Dick, R. (2025) · Zeitschrift für Hochschulentwicklung · doi:10.21240/zfhe/20-1/17
Fowler, K., & Wareham‐Fowler, S. (2025) · Journal of College Student Mental Health · doi:10.1080/28367138.2025.2532411
Riboldi, I., Crocamo, C., Capogrosso, C. A., Bartoli, F., Armes, J., Taylor, C., & Carrà, G. (2025) · Research Square · doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-6914480/v1
Chidlow, S. J., Blyth, C., Coney, K., Boyd, V., & McCabe, P. G. (2025) · International Journal of Inclusive Education · doi:10.1080/13603116.2025.2551754
Bruneel, S., Sjöblom, J., Lagerström, M., & Alanko, K. (2026) · Child Psychiatry & Human Development · doi:10.1007/s10578-026-02027-1 · Cited by 2
Exploring the Mental Health at Higher Education Institutions
Sharma, D. (2025) · IGI Global eBooks · doi:10.4018/979-8-3373-0928-6.ch007
Social well-being moderates behavioral therapy response for generalized anxiety disorder
Armstrong, J., Baughman, N. R., Wilhelm, R. A., El-Shafie, D., Berg, H. E., Yeh, H., Akeman, E., Martell, C. R., Wolitzky-Taylor, K. B., Craske, M. G., et al. (2025) · Journal of Mood and Anxiety Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.xjmad.2025.100160 · Cited by 1
Lim, M. H., Thurston, L., Eres, R., Rodebaugh, T. L., Álvarez‐Jiménez, M., Penn, D. L., Kostakos, V., & Gleeson, J. F. M. (2023) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.22603601
Kotera, Y., Chircop, J., Hutchinson, L., Rhodes, C., Green, P., Jones, R.-M., Kaluzeviciute, G., & Garip, G. (2021) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.17156997
Subramanian, C. A., Rao, P. O., & Velayudhan, J. (2025) · Lecture notes in electrical engineering · doi:10.1007/978-981-96-9971-1_29
Swiercz, A., Charalampidou, S., & Tariq, U. E. H. (2025) · IGI Global eBooks · doi:10.4018/979-8-3373-5811-6.ch005
İnanlı, Z. İ., Kılınçel, O., & Elkin, N. (2025) · İstanbul Gelişim Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Dergisi · doi:10.38079/igusabder.1597443
AYRAL, G., AKINCI, N. E., Güder, F. Z., Aslan, P., Erguzel, T. T., Konuk, M., & Tarhan, K. N. (2026) · Hacettepe University Journal of Education · doi:10.16986/hunefd.1722062
COVID-19 stress, social support, and loneliness during the transition to in-person learning
Ho, V. C., Kalwicz, D. A., Rule, A., & Gee, C. B. (2026) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-025-09002-4
Park, S., Lee, S., & Nam, Y. (2026) · 신경정신의학 · doi:10.4306/jknpa.2026.65.1.34
Akyıl, Y., ŞİRAZ, M. F., & Çağlar, A. (2026) · Türk Psikolojik Danışma ve Rehberlik Dergisi · doi:10.17066/tpdrd.1540466
Henry, R. D., Singh, K., Anderson, G. M., Goldammer, L., Kapitula, A., Morse, C., Rivera, J., Wasilevich, V., Behera, S., Li, Y., et al. (2026) · Research Square · doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-9226835/v1
Impact of Academic, Personal, and Economic Stress on Student Retention
Sam, R., Tep, P., Ken, S., Chhai, R., No, S., Yoeng, H., & Khun, S. (2026) · IGI Global eBooks · doi:10.4018/979-8-2600-2168-2.ch002
Extraversion and Conscientiousness: Personality Profiles and their Links to Mental Health
Eriksson, M. J., & Farrell, A. H. (2026) · Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment · doi:10.1007/s10862-026-10295-3
Interpersonal Experiences and Mental Health Among Low-Income Black and Latino Adults
Rabgie, M. A., August, K. J., Fu, M. R., & Qiu, Z. (2026) · Journal of Transcultural Nursing · doi:10.1177/10436596261452219
What’s overlooked in student mental health in South Africa: social connection and sexual wellbeing
Martin, J., Mostert, S. N., Joubert, J., & Muller, J. (2026) · doi:10.64628/aaj.3sfwuj3us
Building a Culture of Care: Mental Health Strategies for Community Colleges
Siddiqi, M., & Shaabneh, N. (2026) · Community College Journal of Research and Practice · doi:10.1080/10668926.2026.2687103
Why AI’s Mental Health Risks Demand Regulation Now
Shim, R. S. (2026) · JAMA Health Forum · doi:10.1001/jamahealthforum.2026.3056
Binfet, J.-T., Green, F. L. L., Demers, F., & Dahlman, M. L. (2026) · Journal of College Student Mental Health · doi:10.1080/28367138.2026.2702391
Hager, N., Milam, A. L., Hamrick, H. C., Swanson, B. J., & Judah, M. R. (2026) · Journal of Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1002/jclp.70204
Živković, M. Š., & Barbarić, L. Š. (2026) · Emerging Adulthood · doi:10.1177/21676968261476376
Quinlog, C., Garcia, M., Ticong, I. G., Torrenueva, S., & Balonga, D. (2026) · Psychology and Education A Multidisciplinary Journal · doi:10.70838/pemj.610810
Lao, C. H., & Marshall, T. C. (2026) · International Journal of Intercultural Relations · doi:10.1016/j.ijintrel.2026.102503
Battushig, B., Chae, D., & Kim, N. (2026) · Research in Community and Public Health Nursing · doi:10.12799/rcphn.2026.01508
AYNACI, C. (2026) · İstanbul Ticaret Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi · doi:10.46928/iticusbe.1957632
Cavieres, M., Urrutia, A. M., Chavez, G., & Cañon–Jones, H. (2026) · Pets · doi:10.3390/pets3040045
Kyei, S. B., Sinnett, D., Bray, I., & Coleborn, S. (2026) · City and Environment Interactions · doi:10.1016/j.cacint.2026.100505
How social skills relate to academic life integration: psychological well-being and loneliness
An, H., Obrenovic, B., Du, G., Dzhanegizova, A., Godinić, D., & Gu, X. (2026) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1891012
Maity, I. (2026) · Marriage & Family Review · doi:10.1080/01494929.2026.2743004
Metadata
- Authors
- Richardson, T., Elliott, P., & Roberts, R.
- Affiliations
- Solent NHS Trust (GB)
- University of Southampton (GB)
- Kingston University London (GB)
- Venue
- Journal of Public Mental Health
- Publisher
- Emerald
- Published
- 2017-06-19
- Volume
- 16
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 48-54
- ISSN
- 1746-5729 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2612347652
- Cited by
- 256
- References
- 33
- Citations by year
- 2026: 30 · 2025: 41 · 2024: 36 · 2023: 37 · 2022: 50 · 2021: 30 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 1
- FWCI
- 9.73
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- doi.org
- Locations
- Journal of Public Mental Health (publishedVersion)
- ePrints Soton (University of Southampton) (submittedVersion)
- Research Repository (Kingston University London) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Student Stress and Coping
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › COVID-19 and Mental Health
- Keywords
- loneliness, mental health, university students, anxiety, stress, depression, eating disorders, alcohol problems, bidirectional relationship
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
