Shadows of the pandemic: post-pandemic loneliness and emotional disconnection among elite Hong Kong students

The integration of generative artificial intelligence (GAI) into higher education is transforming students' learning processes, academic performance, and psychological well-being. Despite the increasing adoption of GAI tools, the mechanisms through which students' AI literacy and self-regulated learning (SRL) relate to their academic and emotional experiences remain underexplored. This study investigates how AI literacy and SRL are associated with writing performance and digital well-being among university students in GAI-supported higher learning contexts. A survey was administered to 257 students from universities in China, and structural equation modeling was used to examine the hypothesized relationships. Results show that both AI literacy and SRL significantly and positively predict students' writing performance, with SRL having a stronger effect. Moreover, AI literacy shows a positive association with GAI-driven well-being, with writing performance serving as a partial mediator in this relationship. These findings suggest that fostering both technological competencies and effective learning strategies may support students' academic outcomes while supporting their psychological well-being in AI-enriched educational environments. By integrating AI literacy and SRL into a unified model, this study contributes to the growing body of research on GAI-driven well-being in higher education and offers practical implications for cultivating balanced and sustainable learning experiences in the age of GAI.

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, technological transformation in higher education was promoted globally. While e-portfolios are not necessarily new as an educational approach, their significance as an alternative online assessment model increased during this rapid, compulsory shift from face-to-face learning into distance learning modes (Rodriguez et al., 2022). Meanwhile, amidst the unprecedented pedagogical and technological changes, mental health issues are an alarming concern. Students in higher education face stressors impairing not only academic performance and social life but also mental health and wellbeing (Davis & Hadwin, 2021; Hartl et al., 2022; Prasath et al., 2021; Stallman et al., 2022). The significance of developing collaborative, safe and supportive digital environments has been increasingly emphasized by educators and researchers in higher education institutions and universities around the world. However, no previous study has mapped existing studies on the impact of e-portfolio practice on student wellbeing. In that context, the aim of the study was to map and assess published empirical studies on the contribution of e-portfolio practice to student wellbeing in higher education. Our leading research question was: What is known from the existing research literature about the contribution of e-portfolio practice to student psychological wellbeing? A scoping review was conducted using the methodological framework of Arksey and O’Malley (2005). A systematic and comprehensive search of ProQuest, Scopus, Web of Science, Wiley Online Library and Google Scholar databases was performed for studies published between 2012 and 2022. Eligibility criteria were agreed upon among the writers before the review started. One of the authors assessed eligibility in two stages and extracted data using Covidence Software. Where doubts arose, the authors came together to reach an agreement at the full text review stage. The review included 23 papers based on empirical findings and discussions. Five thematic groupings around student wellbeing were identified among the included papers: motivational outcomes, self-perception outcomes, identity outcomes, social outcomes, and self-efficacy outcomes. E-portfolio practice, when designed to allow creativity and communication, seems to contribute positively to student wellbeing in higher education. When it is regarded as summative assessment, on the other hand, it might affect student wellbeing negatively as a stressor. Most of the students have a positive perception of e-portfolios on their personal development, self-efficacy, self-esteem, and motivation. There is also a minority of students reported to see no value in e-portfolio practice and perceive them as a waste of their time. Future research should investigate how and what kind of e-portfolio learning design can help with building resilience and wellbeing among higher education students. More empirical research is needed to develop an instrument to measure the impact of e-portfolio practice on student psychological wellbeing as well as retention and success.

This introductory paper explains the background to the special collection entitled Giftedness, Disability, Gender and Well-Being in Higher Education: A Socio-Psycho-Pedagogical Perspective and provides an overview of the five selected articles. The authors approach the topic of higher education from different perspectives, focusing on student well-being, inclusive education and social inequality. This special collection aims to enable the community of scholars, policy-makers and practitioners to consider the latest approaches to these areas. The papers are based on empirical data and theoretical perspectives. Collectively, the articles highlight the centrality of well-being in the educational journey, arguing for its consideration alongside academic achievement.

Background and Aims Throughout the majority of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the UK population, and especially clinically vulnerable people such as those with chronic kidney disease (CKD), to isolate and cease their usual activities outside the home. The COVID-19 vaccine became available in early 2021, with the aim of protecting against COVID-19 infection, reducing the risk of serious illness or death, and consequently allowing a return to more normal social behaviours. In May 2021 we conducted a survey to explore perceptions of increased COVID-19 safety and resultant changes in social mixing behaviour in people with non-dialysis CKD (ND-CKD), kidney transplant recipients (KTRs), and their significant others (SOs) after receiving the COVID-19 vaccination. Method ND-CKD, KTR and SO participants from 11 hospital sites across England were invited to complete an online survey in May 2021. The survey included items asking about changes to their feelings of COVID-19 risk and safety, and their social behaviours after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Participants ranked questions on 7-point Likert scales (perceived COVID-19 safety, 1: feel not safe at all to 7: feel completely safe; changes in social behaviour, 1: no change to 7: complete change), and provided free-text explanations for their ranked responses. Question ratings were analysed by ANOVA, and free-text responses by content analysis to identify common themes. Results 114 ND-CKD (mean age 65.5 (±1.2) years, 59% male), 120 KTR (60.95 (±9.9) years, 51% male), and 77 SO (63 (±11.08) years, 62% male) participants completed the survey. In total, 109/114 (96%) ND-CKD, 116/120 (97%) KTR, and 71/77 (92%) SO participants had received the COVID-19 vaccine. There were no significant differences between the groups for perceived COVID-19 safety, with all three groups reporting feeling safe from the virus (mean perceived safety rating 6.0 [±1.3] out of a maximum of 7). However, all groups reported limited changes in behaviour after receiving the vaccine (scale rating 3.6 [±1.3]/7). Common reasons identified for perceived feelings of safety were ‘risk perception’ e.g. reduced risk of severe illness, death and hospitalisation and ‘availability of vaccine evidence’ e.g. data that supported the safety of the vaccine being available to the public as well as trust in science and health care professionals. ‘Relaxed shielding’, ‘compliance with government guidance’, and ‘using own discretion’ were common reasons underlying changes in social behaviour. Conclusion These results show that the majority of participants had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by May 2021. Participants did report feeling safer from COVID-19, but despite this, changes to isolation and social mixing behaviour were limited. The free text responses provided explanations for this: participants stated they felt safer after receiving the vaccine due to reduced risk of severe illness and hospitalisation, and new variants. However, despite feeling safer, changes in social behaviour were limited. This may be partly explained by the continuation of some government restrictions at the time of the survey. However, increased social mixing and abandonment of mask-wearing by the general public potentially increased risk for the clinically vulnerable. Together with uncertainty around vaccine efficacy in clinical populations, this resulted in ongoing social avoidance behaviour. These factors persist in today's environment and highlight the need for communication of high-quality research evidence to encourage uptake of booster COVID-19 and flu vaccines, and effective public education campaigns, to allow clinically vulnerable people to confidently return to pre-pandemic social activity.

Social interaction is crucial for mental health across animal species. Social experiences, especially in early-life stages, strongly influence brain function and social behavior later in life. Acute social isolation (SI) increases motivation to seek social interaction, but little is known about its underlying neuronal and circuitry mechanisms. Here, we focus on oxytocin signaling in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), a vital node of the brain's reward network, as a potential mechanism for SI-induced craving for social interaction. Adolescent (4-week-old) or adult (14-week-old) male C57BL/6J mice underwent a 1-week SI. Free interaction, object exploration, three-chamber social approach, and habituation tests were used to assess social and non-social behavior changes. Viral vectors were used to decipher the underlying neural circuitry, and chemogenetic techniques were applied to modify neuronal activity. We found that in male C57BL/6J mice, SI during adolescence, but not adulthood, leads to increased craving for social interaction and object exploration, accompanied by impaired social habituation, social novelty preference, and social recognition memory (SRM). SI-induced craving for social interaction and SRM deficit is still observed upon regrouping. Through cell-type-specific manipulations with designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADD), we show that oxytocin neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) are crucial for SI-induced social behavior changes. Chemogenetic activation of PVN oxytocin neurons recapitulates social behavior changes observed in SI mice, whereas chemogenetic inhibition of oxytocin neurons prevents social behavior changes caused by SI. Moreover, we found that dopaminergic neurons in the VTA mediate SI-induced craving for social interaction through their projections to the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), but not to the nucleus accumbens. Injection of a specific oxytocin receptor antagonist L368,899 into the VTA or chemical lesions of dopaminergic axon terminals in the mPFC with local application of 6-hydroxydopamine ameliorates SI-induced social behavior changes. These findings suggest that adolescent SI has enduring effects on social behaviors in male mice through an oxytocinergic modulation of the VTA-to-mPFC dopaminergic circuit activity.

This study aims to synthesize empirical evidence on the relationships among Industry 4.0–driven digital technologies, soft skills development, psychological well-being, and graduate employability in higher education, with particular attention to mediating and moderating mechanisms. A Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was conducted following PRISMA 2020 guidelines using the Scopus database, applying inclusion criteria related to publication year (2020–2025), document type, language, subject area, and relevance, resulting in 21 empirical studies analyzed through thematic analysis. The findings indicate that digital technologies function as conditional enablers of soft skills, demonstrating stronger effects when embedded in experiential and participatory pedagogies; digital learning environments also show ambivalent effects on psychological well-being, enhancing engagement when well designed but generating stress when pedagogical and organizational support is inadequate. Furthermore, soft skills consistently emerge as dominant predictors of employability beyond technical skills alone, while psychological well-being plays a crucial mediating role in the relationship between digital technologies, soft skills, and career outcomes, with leadership, organizational culture, and learning ecosystems acting as key moderating factors. These findings imply that higher education institutions must adopt integrated educational management strategies that balance digital innovation with soft skills development and psychological well-being to sustainably enhance graduate employability in the Industry 4.0 era

Many universities around the world have now initiated wellbeing strategies that encompass psychological wellbeing. These resources can be leveraged for change to better support students. Associate Professor Lydia Woodyatt from Flinders University, Adelaide and Dr Abi Brooker from the University of Melbourne are guest editors for this very special issue which includes a collection of articles from scholars and practitioners in Australia, Canada, the US, UK and Germany addressing student (and staff) psychological wellbeing in higher education. Broadly, articles discuss the scope of mental wellbeing and psychological distress, identify specific cohorts (including international students and refugees), profile targeted means of support (via the curriculum, the co-curriculum and strategic policy and planning initiatives) and also identify the need for ‘psychological literacy’ via leadership.

This chapter explores a collaborative action-research project, whose aim was to generate new knowledge about well-being and happiness in higher education, which might result in improved outcomes for the school communities. The discussion draws upon data from a study conducted across 10 Schools of the biggest Portuguese University—Universidade de Lisboa. The views and perspectives of 109 participants (students, teachers, chancellors and staff) have been sought through Focus-Group interviews, using the World Cafe methodology to engage and connect participants in conversation, and Appreciative Inquiry to construct meaningful and transformative questions. The study had multiple aims: to generate a genuine, collaborative and positive dialogic environment; to promote a sense of community through relational goods; to co-create a novel consciousness on the past and future of the collective and relational happiness processes inside these communities; to investigate the topic, in contributing with action-research methods; and to provide a framework for the science and application of well-being at the university level. Conversations addressed how each school and domain of science enrolled (Law, Humanities, Medicine, Social and Political Sciences, Physical Exercise and Human Movement, Dental Medicine, Agronomy, Architecture, Design and Arts, and Biology), defined Public Happiness, how the school members consider that they are promoting Public Happiness in everyday life, and how it can be developed and put into practice in the near future inside and outside every school community. Five major themes emerged in the images and written accounts across all school cohorts, associated with well-being, specifically concerning (1) quality of relationships; (2) school identity; (3) presence of virtuousness of the individuals and the community; (4) the vocation to learn and teach; and (5) contributions to the common good. Proposals for the enhancement of well-being in higher education through a community-based approach are discussed, in particular since such findings highlight the potential of more relational, democratic, reciprocate, virtuous and participatory approaches, beyond and besides academic learning.

BackgroundInternational health care students encounter unique hurdles as they pursue education in foreign countries. These challenges, stemming from adjustment to new cultural environments and stressful academic programs, significantly impact their well-being. Understanding the barriers and facilitators experienced by international health care students is crucial for ensuring their successful integration into academic and professional spheres. Most existing reviews focus on specific populations or disciplines, thus limiting their generalizability.ObjectiveThis systematic integrative review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of barriers and facilitators of international health care students’ well-being in higher education.MethodsThe protocol follows the Joanna Briggs Institute’s guidance for a mixed methods systematic review. The main information sources will include PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and EBSCOhost, supplemented with manual reference search and citation tracking using Google Scholar. The study selection will be done independently by 2 reviewers based on predetermined eligibility criteria. The study population will consist of international higher education students enrolled in human health–related disciplines including medicine, pharmacy, nursing, and allied health care fields. Qualitative and quantitative data relating to barriers and facilitators of international health care students’ well-being will be extracted using a customized data extraction template in Covidence review management software. Quantitative data will be “qualitized” and integrated with qualitative data using a convergent integrated approach, as described in the Joanna Briggs Institute’s guidance. The integrated data will then be synthesized using a thematic analysis approach to provide a comprehensive understanding of barriers and facilitators of international health care students’ well-being.ResultsThe initial literature search yielded 2408 papers from the selected databases. The findings of this review will be presented in a narrative format, supported by visualizations such as tables and diagrams. The review is expected to be completed by December 2024.ConclusionsThis systematic integrative review will identify barriers and facilitators of international health care students’ well-being in higher education. The findings could inform the development of targeted interventions and support initiatives in higher education institutions globally, with the ultimate goal of enhancing the well-being as well as the academic and professional success of international health care students.Trial RegistrationPROSPERO CRD42024372785; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42024372785International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)PRR1-10.2196/59927

The field of digital wellbeing is gaining importance in higher education because of the global push for digital transformation in this sector. While most research has focused on mental, physical, social, and emotional aspects of digital wellbeing in higher education, there has been little exploration of the spiritual dimension. This paper aims to address this gap by discussing the significance of spiritual wellbeing and its role in promoting digital wellbeing in higher education. The paper emphasizes the importance of incorporating spiritual wellbeing in research and educational practices to achieve sustainable development. In conclusion, incorporating spiritual wellbeing as an indicator of digital wellbeing in higher education can benefit students and promote a holistic approach to wellbeing.

The global mental health crisis, intensified by the post-pandemic context, calls for holistic approaches to wellbeing in higher education. While prior research highlights the relevance of physical learning environments for health, limited attention has been paid to how these spaces foster social and psychological outcomes. This study examines how informal learning spaces (ILS) contribute to student wellbeing through the mediating role of social integration, with a focus on students facing personal challenges (FPC). Drawing on Tinto’s social integration model and the person–environment fit theory, this study explores two key questions: (1) Does social integration mediate the relationship between ILS availability/accessibility and student wellbeing? (2) Does FPC moderate the relationship between ILS and social integration? A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 932 university students from Austria, Germany, Italy, and Türkiye. Results showed that social integration mediates the relationship between ILS and wellbeing (β = 0.09). Moderation analysis indicated that the relationship between ILS and social integration was stronger for students FPC (β = 0.12), who reported significantly lower social integration when ILS were less accessible. Our findings present novel empirical evidence linking the physical learning environment to social integration and wellbeing, particularly for students facing personal challenges. These findings call for ILS to be intentionally designed as inclusive, welcoming, and supportive spaces that promote equity and wellbeing in higher education.

Beyond the classroom: How CSR fosters teacher well-being and institutional success in higher education.

Research suggests that unpleasant emotions induced by feedback may reduce its efficiency in enhancing students’ performance, which is a crucial issue to address in education. In the context of Chinese language instruction in higher education, this study sought to investigate how students regulate their emotions as a result of feedback through the lens of individuals’ feedback orientation. In light of the feedback orientation lens and its conceptual framework, we applied in-depth qualitative interviews to explore how students experienced feedback, the negative emotions they experienced, and the emotion regulation strategies they used. Eleven undergraduates across years one to five joined our in-depth interviews. Students reported negative emotions when they received feedback that did not live up to their expectations or was unrealistic for them to accept. However, students’ feedback orientation supported their emotion regulation techniques, which in turn supported students’ adaptive feedback processing to interpret and take action to use feedback for academic performance improvement. Students also actively sought further teacher feedback or peer support to deal with a wide range of negative emotions. These findings imply the significance of fostering in students a high level of feedback orientation and the necessity of additional empirical investigation into the relationships between feedback orientation and emotional well-being in higher education. By shedding light on how students regulate the emotions that external feedback causes in them, the study adds valuable qualitative findings to the existing literature on positive psychology research in terms of emotions and emotion regulation. It also emphasizes how crucial students’ personal feedback orientation is for improving emotional well-being in the context of feedback.

University student wellbeing, viewed as a crucial factor for academic achievement, has become a significant concern for educational systems worldwide due to the growing incidence of students with increased stress and emotional health problems. Adopting a cross-sectional research design, this study seeks to explore undergraduate students’ academic wellbeing within a Greek academic context by identifying profiles of academic wellbeing as reported by participants in our sample, examine the extent to which these profiles differ by their demographic characteristics, personality traits, and grit, and determine the effects of the big five personality traits and grit on student wellbeing. Data were collected using a convenience sampling method with 206 first-year Greek undergraduate students majoring in Agriculture and Forestry completing an online survey questionnaire. Cluster analysis revealed three distinct academic wellbeing profiles, i.e., low (‘the overwhelmed’), medium (‘the balanced’), and high (‘the resilient’), that statistically differed by gender, age, field of academic studies, grit level, and personality traits. No statistically significant association was found between overall student wellbeing, self-reported grit levels, and personality traits. However, stepwise multiple regression results showed that the grit subscale of consistency of interests negatively predicts certain aspects of student wellbeing outcomes leading to a decline in self-reported levels of wellbeing and increasing levels of negative emotions and meaninglessness. This study further discusses potential initiatives and interventions adopted to enhance student wellbeing in higher education.

This study examines the role of speaking e-portfolios in enhancing the well-being of non-English-major university students in Indonesia. The research was motivated by the growing need to integrate digital learning tools that not only support language proficiency but also promote students’ overall well-being in higher education. A mixed-method design was employed with 66 undergraduate students from Central Java. Quantitative data were collected using the Student Well-Being Model (SWBM) questionnaire, while qualitative insights were obtained through semi-structured interviews with nine participants. The statistical results indicated a high level of student well-being, with an overall mean score of 74.48. Across the SWBM dimensions, students reported strong Assets (76.5), positive Appraisals (78.8), and supportive Actions (68.15). The interview data reinforced these findings, revealing that students perceived e-portfolios as beneficial for sustained engagement with speaking activities, increased digital connectivity with classroom tasks, and opportunities for creative self-expression. The participants highlighted that regular e-portfolio use provided them with greater exposure to authentic speaking practice and encouraged consistent reflection on their progress. The study concludes that speaking e-portfolios can be an effective pedagogical strategy not only for improving speaking competence but also for fostering non-EFL students’ well-being in higher education. Practical implications are offered for educators seeking to integrate digital portfolios into language learning to promote both skill development and psychological well-being.