How Fresno State helps students combats the feeling of loneliness

FRESNO, Calif. -- Moving away for college is always an exciting new chapter. It can also be filled with anxiety and sometimes it can be lonely.

"My roommate didn't move in until the day before classes started," said Madelynn Moreno, a third-year and Psychology Major at Fresno State. "I was there a couple of days by myself and I was really lonely then."

Feelings that Moreno dealt with when she moved into the dorms at Fresno State when she was a freshman. To fight the feeling of loneliness, she went somewhere that felt comforting.

"I needed something that felt some form of familiarity," said Moreno. "I went to Target. I walked around Target for a little while and called my dad."

Now as a third-year psychology major, Moreno has found her community on campus.

Through the Peer Ambassador of Wellness program, or PAW, which helps promote student health and well-being on campus.

"It's a good opportunity to help connect students with resources that they need for different health reasons," said Moreno. "We push events that we have going on."

Staff at Fresno State says this year's group of transfer and freshmen students is one of their biggest.
Etisha Wilbon, the Director of Counseling and Psychological Services at Fresno State, tells Action News they're seeing an increase in students experiencing loneliness.

"We also have to account for these are also the individuals that experienced the hybrid and the school from home during COVID," said Wilbon. "So a lot of them are having issues socializing, which could really be a trigger for loneliness."

That's why Fresno State offers a variety of resources from outreach programs to counseling.

"There are workshops, psycho-education, processing groups, and a lot of them are about building community," said Wilbon. "Talking about current events, talking about depression in a very candid way because experiencing that can be a very lonely process."

Both Moreno and Wilbon say loneliness doesn't have to be a fight you have on your own.

"A million people have felt the way that you do, and a million people will feel the way that you do," said Moreno. "Looking for people to talk to about that is one of the best pieces of advice I can give."

This story is part of the "Our America: Mental State - The Loneliness Epidemic" series. The collaboration between ABC News and the ABC Owned Television Stations aims to share reporting on how to build social connections, with focus on stories about kids, caregivers, the workplace, the election, the holidays, and anyone looking to learn how to take care of themselves and others.

Click here for all the stories and videos in our series, "Our America: Mental State - The Loneliness Epidemic.