title: Social connectedness and life satisfaction: Comparing mean levels for 2 undergraduate samples and testing for improvement based on brief counseling.
abstract: Comparing the mean levels of social connectedness and life satisfaction, and analyzing their relationship for 2 undergraduate samples, and testing for an increase in their means for a brief counseling sample.
  
  
  
  Between October 2013 and May 2015, 3 samples were collected: not-in-counseling (NIC; n = 941), initial counseling session (ICS; ie, triage session only; n = 168), and brief counseling (BC; ie, median of 4 additional counseling sessions; n = 28).
  
  
  
  Online surveys measuring demographic and background control variables, social connectedness, and life satisfaction.
  
  
  
  NIC students exhibited higher social connectedness and life satisfaction than ICS students. Social connectedness significantly explained life satisfaction beyond controlled-for variables for both samples. There was a significant increase in social connectedness and life satisfaction for the BC sample.
  
  
  
  Social connectedness is an important antecedent of life satisfaction for undergraduates. Brief counseling can increase transition students' social connectedness and life satisfaction.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Human Resource Management , Temple University , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , USA.
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Blau
authors.affiliation: b Tuttleman Counseling Services , Temple University , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , USA.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: DiMino
authors.affiliation: b Tuttleman Counseling Services , Temple University , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , USA.
authors.forename: Peter A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: DeMaria
authors.affiliation: b Tuttleman Counseling Services , Temple University , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , USA.
authors.forename: Clyde
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Beverly
authors.affiliation: b Tuttleman Counseling Services , Temple University , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , USA.
authors.forename: Marcy
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chessler
authors.affiliation: c Department of Risk Insurance & Healthcare Management , Temple University , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , USA.
authors.forename: Rob
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Drennan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003376:Counseling; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008873:Mid-Atlantic Region; D008960:Models, Psychological; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012931:Social Environment; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Brief counseling intervention; life satisfaction; not-in-counseling students; social connectedness; transition students