The Influence Mechanism of Loneliness to Learning and Its Coping Strategies in Chinese College Students

Abstract

Chinese college students frequently experience loneliness during remote learning, resulting in impaired academic performance. The relationships among loneliness, mental health, and academic performance were explored for these students. Mixed method research was conducted using both investigation and interview methods. In the online survey, 437 college students were recruited from three universities in Wuhan, China. The sampling began on April 7, 2021, and ended on April 11, 2021. The reliability and validity of the scales of loneliness, mental health, and academic performance were verified by a confirmatory factor analysis model, and a higher-order model confirmed the mediating mechanism. The mediating mechanism revealed that mental health and the influence of loneliness negatively impacted academic performance. Based on this mechanism, methods for coping with loneliness were explored by interviewing 12 Chinese college students online between April 20 and April 28, 2021. Further interview data coding and classification were conducted. The interview results revealed that self-comfort and seeking assistance from others were the primary methods used by the students to alleviate loneliness. Accordingly, it is found that loneliness during independent learning significantly affects mental health, causing a decline in academic achievement among Chinese college students. Loneliness, the primary cause of the complete mediating effect of loneliness, mental health, and academic performance can be alleviated in two ways; self-comfort and asking help from others.