Loneliness among international students in the UK

Abstract

ABSTRACT This small-scale convergent parallel mixed-methods study aims to explore loneliness in an international student population in a single university. An online de Jong Gierveld loneliness scale (DJGLS) with additional demographics provided the quantitative data on loneliness in international student population. The qualitative semi-structured interviews explored what the participants themselves said about their experience of loneliness. The online DJGLS suggests moderate levels of loneliness, with three out of four international students being affected. The quantitative data shows a negative relationship between loneliness and the number of university services used by international students (rho (56) = −.52, p < .01). The interviews gave insight into who international students missed most, how they adjusted to the new environment and how they coped with loneliness. In addition, the qualitative data illustrates international student support service use as an important means of expanding social networks. This study is one of a small number of studies looking at loneliness in international students in the UK and one of few using a loneliness scale alongside qualitative data. The empirical data provides support for understanding the scale of loneliness in international students in the UK and as such for tackling loneliness to be part of healthy university and university wellbeing agendas.