Irish students describe loneliness through transition and connection

Updated Sep 07, 2026

Sara Minogue and colleagues explored loneliness through interviews with 19 university students in Ireland, aged 19–25. Their paper appeared online in Journal of Further and Higher Education on 5 June 2026. Paper and DOI.

Evidence available for this briefing: the publisher’s indexed abstract and selected methods, findings and limitations were accessible. This is a limited review, not a complete paper verification.

What students’ accounts contributed

The researchers used reflexive thematic analysis of a student subset from a larger young-adult loneliness project. Three themes concerned difficult transitions, loneliness as a shared but uneven experience, and meaningful connections. Participants described social comparison and weakened access to established support.

The study took place during pandemic disruption. Year of study was not recorded, limiting comparisons between new and more established students. The parent project was not designed solely around university experience.

The themes describe participants’ perspectives. They do not establish how common loneliness is across university populations, rank interventions, or prove that an analysis system can identify who will become unwell or leave. Publisher methods and limitations.

Ask about opportunities for connection

Our practical suggestion is to ask what makes it easier or harder for students to build relationships in their own setting. Avoid assuming that event attendance or a busy timetable necessarily captures how connected someone feels.

For a survey comment review, preserve what respondents actually describe and avoid assigning a health label to ambiguous language. A theme about connection can inform discussion about course or community provision without becoming an individual assessment.

Give students clear information about how comments will be used and where they can seek a direct response. A periodic survey should not be presented as an urgent support route.

The governance checklist can help define appropriate access and interpretation. Any intervention intended to improve wellbeing or continuation needs its own evaluation.

Review note, 7 September 2026: bounded the summary to accessible evidence, removed an unverified quotation and detailed timing/category counts, and replaced prevalence and early-risk detection claims with the study’s qualitative scope.

Reference

Sara Minogue, Emma M. Kirwan, Páraic S. O’Súilleabháin, Annette Burns, Mamobo Ogoro, Eoghan Allen and Ann-Marie Creaven (2026). University students’ perspectives on loneliness: a reflexive thematic analysis. Journal of Further and Higher Education. DOI: 10.1080/0309877X.2026.2679576.