Student belonging and well-being in higher education: insights from five European universities

Pleschová, G, Hajdúk, M, Simon, E ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1174-8650, Januška, J, Zemandl, E ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7017-1070, Nyikes, N, Kurowski, M, Košatková, M and Vidláková, J, 2026. Student belonging and well-being in higher education: insights from five European universities. Policy Futures in Education. ISSN 1478-2103 (Forthcoming)

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Abstract

A sense of belonging is crucial for student success. Yet, cross-national research on this topic is scarce. This study addresses this gap by examining the relationships between belonging, mental health, and well-being among 2,072 students at five universities across five European countries. Using network analysis, we found a robust positive association between a sense of belonging and both well-being and life satisfaction across all institutions. The negative correlation between belonging and loneliness was strongest at the two universities with the largest international student populations. These findings underscore the universal importance of belonging and suggest that tailored university interventions, especially those focused on including international students, can be highly effective in mitigating loneliness and supporting student mental health.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	Policy Futures in Education
Creators:	Pleschová, G., Hajdúk, M., Simon, E., Januška, J., Zemandl, E., Nyikes, N., Kurowski, M., Košatková, M. and Vidláková, J.
Contributors:	Name Role NTU ID ORCID Rodrigues, L. Collector UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Vaz Fernandes, J.M. Collector UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Franca, A.M. Collector UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Date:	10 March 2026
ISSN:	1478-2103
Identifiers:	Number Type 2592372 Other
Rights:	This is the Accepted Version of the article in Policy Futures in Education and reuse is restricted to non-commercial and no derivative uses.
Divisions:	Schools > School of Social Sciences
Record created by:	Jonathan Gallacher
Date Added:	18 Mar 2026 13:52
Last Modified:	18 Mar 2026 13:58
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/55438

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