Exploring the importance of connection this University Mental Health Day
Location: United Kingdom
Aaron Campbell
When I attended university, my first two years were some of the best of my life. Those years were filled with new friends, experiences and unforgettable moments and memories. But then my next two years (as well as my first year being a Sabbatical Officer) happened during the height of the pandemic and lockdown. I vividly remember just how isolating and lonely that time felt and the profound impact that it had on my mental health and general wellbeing. Although the pandemic is long since over, we continue to see some of the aftereffects particularly for students. Loneliness and isolation continue to be prominent issue in university and are key contributors to poor mental health in students (Source: HEPI Student Academic Experience Survey 2025).
Human Connection
This year for University Mental Health Day, Student Minds and UMHAN UK selected the theme of “Human Connection” as the focus of the day. This theme is very poignant as our research shows that having meaningful and genuine connection can help protect students’ mental health. Even anecdotally, I know several people currently studying who have experienced poor mental health and many of them have stated that they feel unable to make those meaningful connections that I know helped me, not only settle into university but also helped me overcome the more difficult stretches when my mental health was at its lowest.
Student Minds, who co-run #UniMentalHealthDay alongside UMHAN UK said about the theme:
This year, we chose Human Connection as a theme because there are 2.9 million students, yet at least 1 in 3 students has felt or feels lonely. Strong social relationships are incredibly important for mental health and wellbeing. Connection is what makes us human. Despite this, loneliness is increasing. Increased by challenges such as political polarisation and technology that’s encouraging people to rely less on human connection, it has led to higher levels of loneliness. This University Mental Health Day, we want to build connections on and off campus, create community and get the nation talking about university mental health.
Shared Experiences
UOK? is our programme working with colleges and universities across England to empower students to take their well-being into their own hands by delivering bespoke training and materials to enable students to take a lead in supporting their peers through activities focused on issues that affect young people's mental health.
When the UOK team visited Manchester Metropolitan University last October to talk about their work supporting student mental health, loneliness came out as one of the biggest issues that students face. Students also said that when they did seek support, many desired in-person contact and connection and to talk to those who could relate to their struggles. One of our ambassadors Lily said:
You can actually talk to someone who is just like you and might have been through a similar experience and it kind of takes away some of that daunting element of figuring out, like, how to navigate university, basically.
I do believe that lived experience is the best experience a lot of the time, but there's people on the ground like us in other universities, other staff members that work with us who care about it too. Then there's the Mental Health Foundation who care about it too.
I know for myself, my time at university was greatly enhanced by the friends I made who were able to relate to my struggles and experiences and this even went beyond university as they have since become life-long friends. I have always emphasised to those I know in university the importance of building connections and more specifically putting yourself out there, going into spaces and making those kinds of bonds that can’t happen over a screen or text. In a time where we are becoming ever more digital and many are looking to AI not only for answers to mental health concerns but also for connection, it is vitally important that we do not forget or downplay just how important in-person, face-to-face human interaction and connection is.
Get Support
If you or someone you know is a student struggling to make connections and in need of support, you can check out these resources from the Student Minds website:
You can also check out our get help page for support specific for students and young people.