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大学生怎样才能过得好？很多人首先想到的是锻炼、睡眠或少喝酒。但美国圣托马斯大学心理学教授罗克珊·普里查德 10 月 26 日在 The Conversation 上介绍的一项研究给出了不太一样的答案：在她和学生分析的 79,246 名美国和加拿大大学生的数据中，与朋友和他人面对面相处的时间，是与“蓬勃成长”（不只是没有心理问题，还包括支持性的人际关系、兴趣爱好和生活意义感）关联最强的因素。排在第二位的因素出人意料——在有薪工作和照顾家庭等责任上投入更多时间的学生，往往也感觉更好。相比饮酒、被动刷屏和睡眠不佳，处理人际关系的困难与较低幸福感的关联最大。研究者同时提醒，这项研究呈现的是关联，精神疾病也不能靠“放下手机、加入社团”简单解决。阅读时可留意文章如何按“发现—证据—解释”展开，以及 But、However、Still 等词如何引出转折和研究的边界。

正文

What helps a college student feel good about life? Many people would point to exercise, enough sleep or staying away from alcohol. But a large new study suggests that the most important factor is more ordinary: spending time with other people face to face.

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什么能让一名大学生对生活感觉良好？许多人会想到锻炼、充足睡眠或远离酒精。但一项新的大型研究表明，最重要的因素其实更加平常：与他人面对面相处。

The study was led by Roxanne Prichard, a psychology professor at the University of St. Thomas, who worked with her own students. She described the results in The Conversation on 26 October. The team looked at answers from 79,246 college students in the United States and Canada. They compared 51 parts of students’ lives at the same time, from money worries and sleep problems to how they spent their free time.

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这项研究由美国圣托马斯大学心理学教授罗克珊·普里查德（Roxanne Prichard）领导，她与自己的学生一起完成。她于 10 月 26 日在 The Conversation 上介绍了研究结果。研究团队分析了美国和加拿大 79,246 名大学生的回答，同时比较了学生生活的 51 个方面，从经济压力、睡眠问题，到他们如何度过空闲时间。

The researchers did not only ask whether students had mental health problems. They wanted to know what helps young people flourish, or live well. So their measure also included positive things, such as supportive relationships, hobbies and a sense of meaning in life.

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研究人员不只是询问学生是否有心理健康问题。他们想知道是什么帮助年轻人“蓬勃成长”，也就是过得好。因此，他们的衡量标准还包括一些积极方面，例如有支持自己的人际关系、兴趣爱好，以及生活中的意义感。

Among dozens of factors, six stood out. The strongest was time with others. Students who spent more hours with friends, in student clubs or at cultural events were more likely to report a good overall sense of well-being. The second factor surprised the team. Students who spent more time on duties, such as paid work or helping their families, also tended to feel better. Prichard suggests that well-being may come not only from rest and fun but also from being part of something larger than oneself.

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在几十个因素中，有六个格外突出。最强的一个是与他人相处的时间。花更多时间与朋友在一起、参加学生社团或文化活动的学生，更有可能报告整体幸福感良好。第二个因素让研究团队感到意外：在责任上投入更多时间的学生，例如做有薪工作或帮助家人，也往往感觉更好。普里查德认为，幸福感可能不仅来自休息和娱乐，也来自成为比自身更宏大事物的一部分。

Problem drinking or drug use, passive screen time and poor sleep were all linked to lower well-being. However, the biggest problem was difficulty with relationships, including trouble with friends, partners and roommates. Prichard notes that making friends and working through conflicts take practice, and some of that practice time now goes to talking through screens. In the US, the share of high school seniors who saw friends in person almost every day fell from 44% in 2010 to 32% in 2022.

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问题性饮酒或药物使用、被动的屏幕时间以及睡眠不佳，都与较低的幸福感有关。然而，最大的问题是处理人际关系的困难，包括与朋友、伴侣和室友之间的矛盾。普里查德指出，交朋友和化解冲突都需要练习，而如今一部分练习时间被用在了通过屏幕交流上。在美国，几乎每天与朋友见面的高中毕业班学生比例，从 2010 年的 44% 降到了 2022 年的 32%。

The same patterns appeared among students with and without a diagnosis of anxiety or depression. Still, the study looked at links, so it cannot show exactly what causes what. Prichard also warns that mental illness cannot be solved simply by telling someone to put down their phone or join a club. People who are struggling need proper professional care.

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无论学生是否被诊断患有焦虑症或抑郁症，都呈现出同样的规律。不过，这项研究考察的是关联，因此无法确切说明哪个因素导致了哪个结果。普里查德还提醒，精神疾病不能简单地靠让人放下手机或加入社团来解决。正在经历困难的人需要适当的专业帮助。

She argues that colleges and communities should make it easier for young people to meet in person, through clubs, recreation programs and community events, and help them learn to build friendships and handle conflict.

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她主张，大学和社区应当让年轻人更容易面对面相聚，例如通过社团、休闲娱乐项目和社区活动，并帮助他们学会建立友谊、处理冲突。

新闻来源

• The Conversation · Spending in-person time with friends is the biggest predictor of whether college students flourish (26 Oct 2026)
• The Independent · Biggest predictor of whether college students flourish revealed in new study (26 Oct 2026)

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