Building Student Connection to Improve Mental Health

According to the Surgeon General’s Advisory on “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation,” half of Americans are lonely, with Gen Z experiencing the highest rates of any age group. Worse, loneliness is a huge driver of the current mental health crisis. This session will provide an overview of current data on loneliness and its impact on mental health and offers participants concrete strategies for building student connection. Participants will learn the 6 “Ss” of connection—a framework for relationship-building—and 3 easy-to-implement exercises to facilitate connection. The session will describe an example of an evidence-based program that successfully reduces loneliness and helps students develop positive peer relationships. Participants will leave with actionable practices to build connection and subsequently improve student mental health and well-being.