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Original Articles
- Effects of Loneliness on Stress in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: Sequential Dual Mediating Roles of Social Interaction Anxiety and Self-Control
- Seung Chul Lee, Wonil Choi, SoYeong Yoon, Soo Rim Noh
- STRESS. 2025;33(2):93-102. Published online June 30, 2025
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.17547/kjsr.2025.33.2.93
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Abstract
PDF - Background
The aim of this study is to identify the psychological pathways linking loneliness to stress among middle-aged and older adults, focusing on the mediating roles of social interaction anxiety and self-control.
Methods
A total of 580 adults aged 40∼71 years completed an online self-report questionnaire. Structural equation modeling was used to test a sequential mediation model, and covariates such as age, sex, depression, and extraversion were controlled for.
Results
Loneliness was positively associated with stress and social interaction anxiety, and negatively with self-control. Social interaction anxiety and self-control each mediated the relationship between loneliness and stress. Moreover, a significant sequential mediation pathway was observed: loneliness was associated with higher levels of social interaction anxiety, which in turn was negatively related to self-control, and lower self-control was linked to heightened stress. After controlling for covariates, only the indirect effect via social interaction anxiety remained significant. This suggests that anxiety in social contexts may serve as a robust emotional mechanism underlying the association between loneliness and perceived stress.
Conclusions
This study empirically supports the sequential mediation model in which loneliness increases social interaction anxiety, which in turn reduces self-control, ultimately elevating stress. These findings highlight the importance of considering both interpersonal and intrapersonal factors in mental health interventions for aging populations. Addressing loneliness, reducing social interaction anxiety, and strengthening self-control may be effective targets for psychological intervention and community-based programs tailored to the needs of middle-aged and older adults.
- Double Mediation Effect of Social Interaction Anxiety and Experiential Avoidance between Internalized Shame and Social Media Addiction Tendency
- Kiyeon Nam, Myoung-Ho Hyun, Young-Sil Kwon
- STRESS. 2025;33(1):45-52. Published online March 28, 2025
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.17547/kjsr.2025.33.1.45
- 1,533 View
- 82 Download
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Abstract
PDF
- Background
This study examined the pathway by which internalized shame influences the tendency toward social media addiction through the mediating roles of social interaction anxiety and experiential avoidance.
Methods
Data were collected from 174 Korean adults who completed surveys measuring internalized shame, social interaction anxiety, experiential avoidance, and social media addiction. Linear regression and Process Macro were used for data analysis.
Results
Internalized shame affected social media addiction by mediating experiential avoidance, and the mediation effect of social interaction anxiety was not significant. However, the double mediating effect of social interaction anxiety and experiential avoidance on the relationship between internalized shame and social media addiction was significant.
Conclusions
People who chronically experience negative perceptions and shame about themselves seek stability through others; however, they experience anxiety in face-to-face interactions and use social media to control and avoid these anxieties. To effectively reduce the tendency toward social media addiction, intervention is required to avoid social interaction anxiety, rather than attempting to change maladaptive identity.
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