Positive coping style as a mediator between older adults' self-esteem and loneliness

Abstract

We explored the relationships among older adults' self-esteem, coping styles, and loneliness. Participants were 312 older adults who ranged in age from 60 to 88 years, and who were living in Beibei District, Chongqing, China. Participants completed the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire, and the UCLA Loneliness Scale. The results indicated that older adults' self-esteem, coping style, and loneliness were closely related to each other, and that a positive coping style partially mediated the relationship between the self-esteem and loneliness of the participants. These findings provide new insights into the effect of self-esteem on loneliness of older adults.