Campus Belonging and Psychological Distress Among High-Achieving Undergraduate Women

This study examines the relationship between campus belonging and psychological distress among high-achieving undergraduate women within an international academic honor society network.

Data from 52 undergraduate women (ages 18–24) were analyzed to evaluate how perceived family support and campus belonging relate to mental health outcomes. Results indicate that students reporting strong family support but low campus belonging experienced substantially higher rates of serious psychological distress–approximately eightfold higher.

In addition, students with low campus belonging scored approximately 20 points lower on a standardized 0–100 mental health scale. Group differences were statistically significant (ANOVA F(3,48) = 7.19, p < .001; χ²(3) = 11.18, p = .011).

These findings suggest that campus belonging functions as an independent and critical protective factor for student mental health, even among individuals from supportive family environments.

The study highlights the importance of scalable, low-burden approaches, such as an anonymous mental health check-in tool that provides immediate feedback, relevant resources, and brief evidence-based activities shown to support belonging, academic achievement, and mental health.