Multiple Mediation of Loneliness and Negative Emotions in the Relationship between Adolescents’ Social Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms

Abstract

The current research aims to investigate the multiple mediation of loneliness and negative emotions in the relationship between adolescents’ social anxiety and depressive symptoms. Study participants, selected through convenience sampling, consisted of a total of 263 students, including 155 females (59%) and 108 males (41%), attending various high schools in a city in the mid-Black Sea Region. Participant students’ ages ranged between 14 and 18, with an average age of 15.05 (SD=.90). Data for the current study were collected through the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents, UCLA Loneliness Scale – Short Form, Positive and Negative Emotion Scale for Adolescents, Depression Scale for Children, and Personal Information Form. Current research data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient, and an approach based on Ordinary Least Squares Regression, and the Bootstrap Method. The current study findings indicated that loneliness and negative emotions, both separately and together, mediated the relationship between social anxiety and depressive symptoms. No significant difference was found in the comparison conducted to reveal the more powerful mediating variable in terms of mediation effect. In addition, it was found that the model overall was significant and it explained 44% of the total variance in depressive symptoms. A discussion about and interpretation of findings obtained in the current study were included along with suggestions for relevant practitioners.