Fitting in: Exploring the Relationship Between Recovery Status, Loneliness, and Sense of Belonging on Mental Health Functioning Among College Students

Abstract

College students in recovery from alcohol and other drugs find themselves within a developmental and institutional context that often normalizes substance use, creating distinct challenges to recovery maintenance and social integration. This article examines differences in mental health symptoms by levels of belonging and loneliness among college students in recovery. Latent class analysis yielded three classes within the sample: Disconnected ( N = 581); Mixed Connection ( N = 1,073); and Connected ( N = 850). Significant differences were observed between classes on measures of anxiety and depression, with the Disconnected class reporting the highest levels and the Connected class reporting the lowest levels. Given that sense of belonging was observed as moderate to high in this sample, results suggest loneliness may play an important role in understanding mental health among college students in recovery. Recommendations related to findings and study limitations are discussed.