Collaborative innovation in combating student loneliness: U-Belong, King’s College London and Togetherall

The challenge:

Starting university can be overwhelming, with students facing academic and social adjustments that may lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness. Research highlights the significant impact of belonging on students’ mental health, academic performance, and overall university experience. A lack of belonging has been linked to poor academic outcomes and increased mental health struggles (Tinto, 1975; Thomas, 2012; Kahu & Nelson, 2018).

Findings from U-Belong’s research emphasise the depth of this issue:

• 1 in 4 students sometimes feel that they don’t belong at their university (U-Belong survey).

Dr. Nicola Byrom, Principal Investigator of U-Belong and Reader in Psychology at King’s Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), explains:

Most young people expect university to provide some structure to help them make friends, be that sitting next to people in class or chatting to the people waiting in the corridor for a seminar. Sadly, for many, this just doesn’t happen; with large cohorts, it can feel like you never see the same person twice. Students are having to learn new ways to connect and make friends, and this is not easy. We have developed the U-Belong toolkit to help students build a stronger sense of community.

The solution: The U-Belong toolkit

To tackle this challenge, U-Belong developed a comprehensive student toolkit based on rigorous research and student input. The toolkit is designed to support students through key transitional phases by offering:

• Student-centered design: More than 40 student research assistants contributed to ensure the toolkit reflects real student experiences.
• Iterative development: A Student Research Team continuously reviewed and refined the toolkit for maximum relevance and impact.
• Diverse resources: The toolkit includes videos, articles, and interactive content aimed at reducing loneliness and fostering belonging.

Available on the U-Belong website, the toolkit aims to equip students with actionable strategies to build connections and navigate university life more effectively.

Togetherall’s role: A strategic integration

As a key component of the U-Belong Toolkit, Togetherall was strategically embedded to enhance accessibility to clinically moderated peer-to-peer support. Its inclusion was thoughtfully designed to complement the toolkit’s mission, providing students with actionable tools to combat loneliness.

How Togetherall enhances the toolkit:

• Immediate support: Togetherall provides students with an accessible, real-time solution to address loneliness and isolation, ensuring they have an actionable step when they need support the most.
• Community-driven empowerment: Togetherall fosters a sense of belonging through peer-to-peer support, allowing students to both give and receive support in a clinically moderated environment. This model builds resilience, empathy, and connection, aligning perfectly with the toolkit’s goals.

Potential outcomes and benefits:

• Enhanced student support: By integrating Togetherall into the U-Belong Toolkit, students have a direct pathway to peer-to-peer support, helping them navigate feelings of isolation and strengthen their sense of community.
• Increased accessibility: The toolkit provides students with on-demand, immediate options to connect with others at the moment they need it most, offering a structured yet flexible support system.

By embedding Togetherall within the U-Belong Toolkit, students are not only equipped with tools for fostering belonging but also have a 24/7, anonymous, and supportive space to engage with peers who understand their experiences. Togetherall’s role within the toolkit ensures students have multiple avenues for support, whether through self-guided resources or interactive peer engagement in a clinically safe environment.

Project expansion: Now available to other universities

The success of this initiative at King’s has paved the way for broader adoption across the UK. The Student Engagement Toolkit is now available for other universities, including the University of Leeds, University of Warwick, University of Sheffield and more.  Enabling them to offer their students targeted support to address loneliness and isolation. This expansion allows institutions nationwide to utilise this evidence-based resource, ensuring transitioning students have access to comprehensive social and mental health support, regardless of their location.

This collaboration between Togetherall, U-Belong and King College London showcases how innovative, student-centered approaches can effectively address complex issues like loneliness and isolation in higher education. By providing accessible resources and fostering a sense of community, the project enhances student well-being and offers a successful model for future initiatives in the sector.

About Togetherall

To learn more about how Togetherall provides students with a safe space to connect and share about their mental health, click here to book a demo and get an overview of our service.

References

• Tinto, V. (1975). Dropout from Higher Education: A Theoretical Synthesis of Recent Research. Review of Educational Research, 45 (1), pp. 89-125. https://doi.org/10.2307/1170024
• Thomas, L. (2012). Building student engagement and belonging in higher education at a time of change: Final report from the What Works? Student retention and success programme. London: Paul Hamlyn Foundation.
• Kahu, E.R. & Nelson, K (2018) Student engagement in the educational interface: understanding the mechanisms of student success, Higher Education Research & Development, 37:1, pp. 58-71. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2017.1344197
• U-belong, Research paper in preparation, https://www.u-belong.uk/about