SUBSIFY Student Survey & Staff Wellbeing Survey Analysis (2021-2023)
Comprehensive institutional data documenting social connection trends among students and staff
This page presents comprehensive institutional data from Stellenbosch University documenting loneliness and social connection trends among both students and staff from 2021-2023.
Two Major Surveys:
Time Period: 2021-2023 (spanning pre-pandemic baseline through post-pandemic recovery)
Key Finding: Both student and staff populations show concerning levels of loneliness and social disconnection, with student indicators showing dramatic acceleration from 2021 to 2023.
Every single student social connection indicator worsened from 2021 to 2023. This is not a statistical anomaly—it's a sustained, accelerating crisis affecting real people in our community.
Conservative to inclusive estimates of students showing loneliness vulnerability when arriving on campus
24.2% of incoming students (2023) show vulnerability to loneliness using inclusive thresholds
Clear loneliness risk surged from 8.2% (2021) to 11.6% (2023)
Students reporting they have almost no one to turn to with problems—more than doubled from 56 in 2021
Staff workplace loneliness score (2023), up from 4.07 in 2019
Estimated 25% of staff experiencing high workplace loneliness (scores 7-10)
Estimated 5% reporting severe workplace isolation (scores 9-10)
Staff experiencing moderate to very high workplace loneliness
Full Name: Stellenbosch University Baseline Survey for Incoming First-Years
Population: All incoming first-year students
Sample Sizes:
Timing: Administered at the start of each academic year
SUBSIFY includes four questions that measure social connection and support—critical protective factors against loneliness:
Question: "I have support when I need it to overcome difficulties (from family, friends and other people who care for me)."
Scale: Never | Occasionally (≈25%) | Often (≈50%) | Very often (≈75%) | Always (≈100%)
| Response | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 3-Year Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Never | 30 (0.9%) | 39 (1.3%) | 49 (1.5%) | +63% |
| Occasionally (≈25%) | 201 (6.2%) | 231 (7.5%) | 292 (8.7%) | +45% |
| Often (≈50%) | 368 (11.3%) | 385 (12.5%) | 465 (13.8%) | +26% |
| Conservative Risk (Never + Occasionally) | 231 (7.1%) | 270 (8.8%) | 341 (10.1%) | +42% |
| Inclusive Risk (+ Often) | 599 (18.4%) | 655 (21.3%) | 806 (23.9%) | +35% |
49 students in 2023 report NEVER having support when they need it to overcome difficulties—up 63% from 2021 (30 students).
Even those reporting support "Often (≈50%)" increased, suggesting more students experiencing inconsistent support rather than reliable support systems.
Question: "When something good happens to me, I have people who I like to share the good news with."
Scale: Almost never | Sometimes | Often | Very Often | Almost Always
| Response | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 3-Year Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Almost never | 43 (1.3%) | 49 (1.6%) | 76 (2.3%) | +77% |
| Sometimes | 320 (9.8%) | 336 (10.9%) | 444 (13.2%) | +39% |
| Often | 412 (12.6%) | 396 (12.9%) | 433 (12.9%) | +5% |
| Conservative Risk (Almost never + Sometimes) | 363 (11.1%) | 385 (12.5%) | 520 (15.4%) | +43% |
| Inclusive Risk (+ Often) | 775 (23.8%) | 781 (25.3%) | 953 (28.3%) | +23% |
This question captures emotional loneliness—the lack of close, intimate connections to share life's joys.
76 students (2.3%) in 2023 almost never have people to share joy with—a 77% increase from 2021.
The "Sometimes" category nearly doubled in absolute numbers (320 → 444), indicating growing inconsistency in emotional connection.
Question: "When I have a problem, I have someone who will be there for me."
Scale: Almost never | Sometimes | Often | Very Often | Almost Always
| Response | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 3-Year Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Almost never | 56 (1.7%) | 78 (2.5%) | 122 (3.6%) | +118% 🚨 |
| Sometimes | 348 (10.7%) | 379 (12.3%) | 470 (14.0%) | +35% |
| Often | 437 (13.4%) | 459 (14.9%) | 490 (14.5%) | +12% |
| Conservative Risk (Almost never + Sometimes) | 404 (12.4%) | 457 (14.8%) | 592 (17.6%) | +47% |
| Inclusive Risk (+ Often) | 841 (25.8%) | 916 (29.7%) | 1,082 (32.1%) | +29% |
THIS IS THE MOST ALARMING FINDING IN THE ENTIRE DATASET
122 students (3.6%) in 2023 report having almost NO ONE to turn to when facing problems.
This represents a 118% increase from 56 students in 2021—the number MORE THAN DOUBLED in just three years.
Additionally, 1 in 3 students (32.1%) lack consistent support when facing difficulties (inclusive threshold).
These are students who arrive on campus already in severe social isolation—the exact moment when university support is most critical.
Question: "I have friends that I really care about."
Scale: Not at all like me | A little like me | Somewhat like me | Mostly like me | Very much like me
| Response | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 3-Year Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not at all like me | 14 (0.4%) | 17 (0.6%) | 15 (0.4%) | +7% |
| A little like me | 54 (1.7%) | 93 (3.0%) | 101 (3.0%) | +87% |
| Somewhat like me | 178 (5.5%) | 202 (6.6%) | 300 (8.9%) | +69% |
| Conservative Risk (Not at all + A little) | 68 (2.1%) | 110 (3.6%) | 116 (3.4%) | +71% |
| Inclusive Risk (+ Somewhat) | 246 (7.5%) | 312 (10.1%) | 416 (12.4%) | +69% |
116 students (3.4%) in 2023 have very few or no close friendships—a 71% increase from 2021.
The "A little like me" category nearly doubled (54 → 101), and "Somewhat like me" increased 69%.
416 students (12.4%) lack strong friendship connections (inclusive threshold).
| Year | Total Respondents | Conservative Risk (Avg %) | Inclusive Risk (Avg %) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3,259 | 8.2% | 18.9% |
| 2022 | 3,082 | 9.9% | 21.6% |
| 2023 | 3,369 | 11.6% | 24.2% |
| 3-Year Change | — | +41% | +28% |
Conservative approach: Clear loneliness risk increased 41% over three years (8.2% → 11.6%)
Inclusive approach: Students showing vulnerability increased 28% over three years (18.9% → 24.2%)
Full Name: SU Wellbeing, Culture and Climate at Work Survey
Population: All Stellenbosch University staff members
Sample Sizes:
Timing: Administered periodically (2019 = pre-COVID baseline, 2021 = during COVID, 2023 = post-COVID)
Question: "How lonely do you feel at work?"
Scale: 0 = not at all lonely | 10 = completely lonely
From: PERMAH at Work Profiler (validated assessment instrument)
| Year | Respondents (N) | Average Score (0-10) | Change from Baseline |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 (Pre-COVID baseline) | 1,095 | 4.07 | — |
| 2021 (During COVID) | 1,091 | 4.12 | +1.2% |
| 2023 (Post-COVID) | 1,036 | 4.21 | +3.4% |
While the average score of 4.21 might seem moderate, averages mask the human reality. If the data follows a normal distribution around this mean, the breakdown looks like this:
Approximately 207 staff members in 2023
Approximately 259 staff members
Approximately 311 staff members
Approximately 207 staff members
Approximately 52 staff members experiencing severe workplace isolation
These aren't statistics—they're colleagues, professors, administrators, and support staff who come to work every day feeling profoundly disconnected.
Unlike the dramatic student increases (41-47%), staff workplace loneliness shows modest but consistent increases:
Context matters: While modest, this represents a persistent upward trend even as organizations returned to in-person work post-COVID. The slight increases suggest workplace loneliness is not resolving naturally—it may require intentional intervention.
Students: 41-47% increases in loneliness indicators, dramatic acceleration
Staff: 3.4% increase, modest but persistent
Interpretation:
| Indicator | 2021→2022 | 2022→2023 | 3-Year Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inadequate Support (Q1) | +16.9% | +26.3% | +47.6% ⬆️⬆️ |
| Can't Share Joy (Q2) | +6.1% | +35.1% | +43.3% ⬆️⬆️ |
| No Problem Support (Q3) | +13.1% | +29.5% | +46.5% ⬆️⬆️ |
| Few Close Friends (Q4) | +61.8% | +5.5% | +70.6% ⬆️⬆️⬆️ |
For most indicators, the growth accelerated in the 2022→2023 period. This suggests the problem is not stabilizing—it's getting worse faster.
Exception: Q4 (close friends) had dramatic 2021→2022 jump but stabilized in 2023. This might reflect pandemic disruption followed by some recovery in friendship formation.
The 2021 cohort entered university during COVID restrictions but had developed basic social skills pre-pandemic (high school socialization mostly pre-2020).
The 2022 and especially 2023 cohorts developed critical social skills during pandemic adolescence—formative years disrupted by:
Result: Students arriving at university with less developed social connection skills and greater vulnerability to loneliness—a deficit that may persist without intervention.
The SUBSIFY data captures different dimensions of loneliness:
Q2 & Q4: Lack of friendship network
15.4% can't share good news, 12.4% lack close friends
Q3: Lack of intimate support—the most serious form
17.6% don't have reliable problem support
Q1: Lack of practical support
10.1% can't overcome difficulties due to inadequate support
Implication: Interventions must address multiple dimensions—building friendships (social), deepening connections (emotional), and creating support networks (instrumental).
390-815 students per cohort need support
260+ staff experiencing high workplace loneliness
Scale demands scalable intervention
Loneliness is a primary driver of dropout
Students without social connection leave universities
17.6% lack problem support = hundreds at elevated attrition risk
Lonely students have lower GPAs, worse mental health, reduced engagement
Research consistently links belonging to academic performance
Workplace loneliness affects collaboration, satisfaction, turnover
260 isolated staff = reduced organizational effectiveness
815 vulnerable students + 570 moderately lonely staff = 1,385 people at elevated mental health risk
Clinical services overwhelmed—preventive intervention essential
Students and staff expect universities to prioritize wellbeing
Failure to address = recruitment and retention challenges
Students arrive showing risk—SUBSIFY captures them at baseline, before university experiences compound initial vulnerability.
Welcoming Week = Prime intervention moment:
First semester = Secondary window: Before patterns solidify, while students are still open to support
For Students:
For Staff:
These aren't hypothetical statistics from other universities. This is OUR community.
We have the data. We have the evidence. The question is: What will we do with it?
We have measured the problem. Now we must address it.