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- 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. -
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
- Loneliness and perceived stress in family caregivers of older adults with disabilities: the mediating role of psychological resilience
Yinghui Song, Ying Luo, Xiwen Zhang, Ying Zhou, Shudi Chen, Caiying Huang
BMC Geriatrics.2026;[Epub] CrossRef
- Loneliness and perceived stress in family caregivers of older adults with disabilities: the mediating role of psychological resilience
- The Moderating Effect of Self-Control in the Relationship between Daily Stress and SNS Addiction Tendency of Adolescents
- Jung A Ko, Ji Young Kim, Hye Young Kim
- STRESS. 2020;28(3):153-159. Published online September 30, 2020
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.17547/kjsr.2020.28.3.153
- 9,689 View
- 412 Download
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Abstract
PDF
Background The purpose of the study was to test the moderating role of self-control in the relationship between daily stress and online social networking addiction of adolescents.
Methods The daily stress scale, online social networking addiction scale, and self-control scale were administered to a sample of 225 adolescents. The data were analyzed using SPSS 25.0 and SPSS PROCESS macro.
Results The results were as follows: First, correlation analysis was conducted to examine the relationship among daily stress, self-control, and online social networking addiction. Daily stress was significantly positively correlated with online social networking addiction. In contrast, self-control was significantly negatively correlated with daily stress. Second, the interaction between self-control and daily stress played a more prominent role in protecting against online social networking addiction in adolescents who reported lower daily stress than those who reported higher daily stress.
Conclusion This result suggested that it is necessary to strengthen the positive aspects of self-control to adolescents who have difficulty managing their online social networking addiction.
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