Evidence base
Frontiers in Psychology
Social Connections Combat Loneliness and Promote Wellbeing Among College Students Coming Out of the COVID-19 Pandemic
What it found
This study looks at college students in the period following the COVID-19 pandemic to identify which types of social connection predicted wellbeing. It finds that the quality and regularity of contact were stronger predictors than the sheer number of connections students had.
Why it matters for practice
This adds to a growing body of evidence pushing back against "more contact is better" assumptions in loneliness interventions; programme designers working with young adults should weigh consistency and depth of interaction over volume of social touchpoints when building connection-focused activities.