Mental health and loneliness in university students: A structural equation modelling comparing Italy and the UK

Background: The transition to university often leads to increased demands and changes in lifestyle habits, which may affect mental health. In particular, loneliness could play a key role in the onset of psychological distress. Although many patterns are consistent across countries, cultural differences may influence students’ mental health and feelings of loneliness. Aims: The aim of this study was thus to examine mental health domains and their relationship with loneliness among students from the University of Milano-Bicocca (Italy) and the University of Surrey (United Kingdom). Method: Data were from the CAMPUS study, a cross-national survey on students’ mental health. A structural equation modelling (SEM) approach was carried out to simultaneously test the pathways between loneliness and clinical domains in the two populations. Results: Anxiety and depressive symptoms were identified as the most common conditions in both the samples. However, Italian students were likely to show a higher degree of anxiety (t = 7.01, p <.001), while UK undergraduates greater depressive symptoms (t = −2.50, p =.013) and a higher prevalence of insomnia (t = −9.55, p <.001). Poor academic performance, along with limited social interactions were associated with worse psychological well-being, despite the likely influence of lifestyle differences among countries. Finally, a significant correlation between loneliness, anxiety and depressive symptoms, as well as insomnia was found both in Italian and UK samples, as confirmed by multivariate analyses. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the existence of a cross-nationally, clinically meaningful psychological burden among university students, with a major role played by loneliness. Extensive promotion of healthy social networks, as well as interventions to support academic performance are needed.