Associations between community engagement, human flourishing, and mental illness symptoms among college students

In a survey of 379 college students, researchers found that engagement with family, peers, church and school was associated with greater human flourishing. Peer engagement showed the strongest relationship. Flourishing, in turn, was associated with fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression.

The study treats connection as more than a pleasant extra: participation in communities may be part of the conditions in which people can function and thrive. Its findings offer a useful lens on belonging and well-being, while leaving open how those relationships develop over time.