The Mediating Role of Loneliness in the Relation Between Preference for Solitude, Social Competence, Self-Esteem and Depression in Emerging Adults

Abstract

This study aims at testing the relation between emerging adults’ preference for solitude, social competence, self-esteem on one side and depression on the other side with the mediating role of loneliness. The study group is composed of students that were studying at various faculties at state universities in Turkey in 2019-2020 Academic Year and determined by the easily convenience sampling. 508 students, 279 of whom were female and 229 of whom were male, participated in the study. Data collections tools used in the study are Beck Depression Scale, UCLA Loneliness Scale Short Form, Preference for Solitude Scale, Two-Dimensional Self-Esteem Scale and Perceived Social Competence Scale. The findings of the current study indicate that there is a positive association between depression and loneliness, whereas a negative relationship between loneliness and a tendency for solitude as well as between self-esteem and social competence. Furthermore, the current findings show that loneliness predicts the relation between emerging adults’ preference for solitude, social competence, self-esteem and depression at a statistically significant level.