Linking social connectedness to loneliness: The mediating role of subjective happiness

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among social connectedness, loneliness, and subjective happiness. Three hundred and twenty-five [178 ((55%)) female, 147 ((45%)) male, M-age = 20.96 +/- 1.85] Turkish university students completed the Turkish version of the Social Connectedness Scale, Subjective Happiness Scale, and UCLA Loneliness Scale. Structural equation modeling revealed that subjective happiness partially mediated the relationship between social connectedness and loneliness. Moreover, bootstrapping procedure demonstrated that the indirect effect of social competence on loneliness through subjective happiness was significant. The implications of these findings for research and practice are discussed. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.