Date of Conferral

11-4-2025

Date of Award

November 2025

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Silvia Bigatti

Abstract

Worsening mental health among college students post-COVID is a growing national health crisis. Grounded in Cacioppo’s evolutionary theory of loneliness and Feeney and Collins’ thriving through relationships theoretical perspectives, the purpose of this study was to explore the degree to which social interaction and social support predicted psychological outcomes among undergraduate students. Survey responses from over 74,000 undergraduate students who completed the ACHA-NCHA survey for Fall 2019, 2021, and 2022 were analyzed. The surveys included the Kessler 6 screening for non-specific mental illness, the Diener flourishing scale, and questions to assess the number of hours spent in categorically-sorted social situations over the course of the previous 30 days. The only two categories that were continuously beneficial for mental health were physical activity and spending time with friends. Time spent in other social situations resulted, at some points, in lower mental health. This confirms that social isolation is correlated with the worst mental health outcomes and that time spent with others is, in general, beneficial. It suggests differing psychological benefits across social settings which are contingent on the number of hours spent in each setting. Essentially, not all social engagement settings equally benefit the participant, nor do psychological benefits increase continuously as participants spend increasing amounts of time within the social setting. This study may be used to generate positive social change by informing university personnel of psychologically beneficial social settings and social time bands, perhaps influencing university-led social programs for undergraduate students, to help protect a population vulnerable to psychological distress.

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