{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,23]],"date-time":"2026-10-23T01:52:43Z","timestamp":1792720363538,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":66,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,3]],"date-time":"2025-01-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1735862400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Psychiatry"],"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Background<\/jats:title><jats:p>The relationship between loneliness and internalizing disorders has been well established in psychological research. This study aims to build on existing research by exploring how different components of loneliness\u2014isolation, relational connectedness, and collective connectedness\u2014interact with ego-resilience to influence anxiety, depression, and hopelessness.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>The study participants were young adults (<jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic> = 337) who completed the University of California-Los Angeles Loneliness Scale, Ego Resilience Scale, Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Scale, and Beck Hopelessness Scale. A regression-based moderation and mediation analysis was used to investigate the relationships between the components of loneliness, ego-resilience, and internalizing disorders.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>The results of correlational analysis demonstrated that the zero-order correlations between the components of loneliness, isolation, relational connectedness, and collective connectedness, on the one hand, and internalizing disorders, on the other hand, were all significant. Mediation analyses found that ego-resilience partly mediated the relationships between relational connectedness and internalizing disorders, the relationships between collective connectedness and internalizing disorders, and the relationships between isolation and internalizing disorders. Further, moderation analyses found that ego-resilience moderated the relationships between collective connectedness and relational connectedness, respectively, and hopelessness.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title><jats:p>This study highlights the central role of ego-resilience in mediating the effects of different facets of loneliness on internalizing disorders. Understanding the mediating and moderating role of ego-resilience can inform therapeutic approaches and interventions aimed at reducing the impact of loneliness on mental health.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyt.2024.1466173","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,3]],"date-time":"2025-01-03T06:48:58Z","timestamp":1735886938000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["The relationship between loneliness and internalizing disorders among young adults: the mediating and moderating role of ego-resilience"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Anita","family":"Padmanabhanunni","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tyrone B.","family":"Pretorius","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,3]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"113514","DOI":"10.1016\/j.psychres.2020.113514","article-title":"The effect of loneliness on distinct health outcomes: A comprehensive review and meta-analysis","volume":"294","author":"Park","year":"2020","journal-title":"Psychiatry Res"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/0022-3514.39.3.472","article-title":"The revised UCLA Loneliness Scale: Concurrent and discriminant validity evidence","volume":"39","author":"Russell","year":"1980","journal-title":"J Pers Soc Psychol"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj-2021-067068","article-title":"The prevalence of loneliness across 113 countries: systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"376","author":"Surkalim","year":"2022","journal-title":"BMJ (Online)"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0255088","article-title":"Prevalence of loneliness amongst older people in high-income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"16","author":"Chawla","year":"2021","journal-title":"PloS One"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"70","DOI":"10.1080\/00049530.2021.1904499","article-title":"School belongingness, well-being, and mental health among adolescents: exploring the role of loneliness","volume":"73","author":"G\u00f6kmen","year":"2021","journal-title":"Aust J Psychol"},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1218","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jaac.2020.05.009","article-title":"Rapid systematic review: the impact of social isolation and loneliness on the mental health of children and adolescents in the context of COVID-19","volume":"59","author":"Loades","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry"},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/21676968211058516","article-title":"Changes in college student anxiety and depression from pre- to during-COVID-19: perceived stress, academic challenges, loneliness, and positive perceptions","volume":"10","author":"Haikalis","year":"2022","journal-title":"Emerging adulthood (Thousand Oaks CA)"},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.adolescence.2019.03.006","article-title":"Loneliness as a mediator for college students\u2019 social skills and experiences of depression and anxiety","volume":"73","author":"Moeller","year":"2019","journal-title":"J adolescence (London England)"},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2765","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph20042765","article-title":"The association of social support and loneliness with symptoms of depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress during the COVID-19 pandemic: A meta-analysis","volume":"20","author":"Gabarrell-Pascuet","year":"2023","journal-title":"Int J Environ Res Public Health"},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0181442","article-title":"Loneliness is adversely associated with physical and mental health and lifestyle factors: Results from a Swiss national survey","volume":"12","author":"Richard","year":"2017","journal-title":"PloS One"},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.psychres.2020.113172","article-title":"Factors associated with depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptomatology during the COVID-19 pandemic: Clinical implications for U.S. young adult mental health","volume":"290","author":"Liu","year":"2020","journal-title":"Psychiatry Res"},{"key":"B12","volume-title":"Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-5-TR","year":"2022"},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/pits.21818","article-title":"The role of loneliness in the relationship between anxiety and depression in clinical and school-based youth","volume":"52","author":"Ebesutani","year":"2015","journal-title":"Psychol schools"},{"key":"B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/h0037562","article-title":"The measurement of pessimism: The hopelessness scale","volume":"42","author":"Beck","year":"1974","journal-title":"J Consult Clin Psychol"},{"key":"B15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cpr.2007.05.004","article-title":"A review of the tripartite model for understanding the link between anxiety and depression in youth","volume":"28","author":"Anderson","year":"2008","journal-title":"Clin Psychol review"},{"key":"B16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/1471-244X-8-79","article-title":"A factor analytic investigation of the Tripartite model of affect in a clinical sample of young Australians","volume":"8","author":"Buckby","year":"2008","journal-title":"BMC Psychiatry"},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"316","DOI":"10.1037\/0021-843X.100.3.316","article-title":"Tripartite model of anxiety and depression: psychometric evidence and taxonomic implications","volume":"100","author":"Clark","year":"1991","journal-title":"J Abnormal Psychol"},{"key":"B18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"83","DOI":"10.1177\/0091217420913395","article-title":"Professional quality of life as potential mediators of the association between anxiety and depression among Chinese health-care clinicians","volume":"56","author":"Xie","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int J Psychiatry Med"},{"key":"B19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"6984","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph17196984","article-title":"The predictive role of affectivity, self-esteem and social support in depression and anxiety in children and adolescents","volume":"17","author":"Pe\u00f1ate","year":"2020","journal-title":"Int J Environ Res Public Health"},{"key":"B20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.lindif.2017.01.002","article-title":"The influence of negative affect on test anxiety and academic performance: An examination of the tripartite model of emotions","volume":"54","author":"Chin","year":"2017","journal-title":"Learn Individ differences"},{"key":"B21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.comppsych.2018.08.006","article-title":"Low sense of coherence is associated with anxiety among adults: Results based on data from all 47 prefectures of Japan","volume":"86","author":"Uchida","year":"2018","journal-title":"Compr Psychiatry"},{"key":"B22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/cpp.v29.5","article-title":"Is a sense of coherence associated with prolonged grief, depression, and satisfaction with life after bereavement?: A longitudinal study","volume":"29","author":"Boelen","year":"2022","journal-title":"Clin Psychol psychotherapy"},{"key":"B23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/09638288.2017.1408707","article-title":"The efficacy of problem solving therapy to reduce post stroke emotional distress in younger (18\u201365) stroke survivors","volume":"41","author":"Chalmers","year":"2019","journal-title":"Disability Rehabilitation"},{"key":"B24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.4324\/9781410602466","volume-title":"Personality as an affect-processing system: Toward an integrative theory","author":"Block","year":"2002"},{"key":"B25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.13075\/ijomeh.1896.02113","article-title":"The role of core self-evaluations and ego-resiliency in predicting resource losses and gains in the face of the COVID-19 crisis: the perspective of conservation of resources theory","volume":"36","author":"Sanecka","year":"2023","journal-title":"Int J Occup Med Environ Health"},{"key":"B26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.adolescence.2020.11.005","article-title":"Social stigma, ego-resilience, and depressive symptoms in adolescent school dropouts","volume":"85","author":"Kwon","year":"2020","journal-title":"J adolescence (London England)"},{"key":"B27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/10634266221149361","article-title":"A cross-sectional study of children\u2019s irritability determining the links between their ego-resilience and symptoms of anxiety and depression","author":"Busch","year":"2023","journal-title":"J emotional Behav Disord"},{"key":"B28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/08952841.2017.1313023","article-title":"The effects of ego-resilience, social support, and depression on suicidal ideation among the elderly in South Korea","volume":"30","author":"Cha","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Women aging"},{"key":"B29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0081246320943498","article-title":"Pathways to health: conceptual clarification and appropriate statistical treatment of mediator, moderator, and indirect effects using examples from burnout research","volume":"50","author":"Pretorius","year":"2020","journal-title":"South Afr J Psychol"},{"key":"B30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.2478\/izajodm-2019-0004","article-title":"Fragmenting the family? The complexity of household migration strategies in post-apartheid South Africa","volume":"10","author":"Hall","year":"2019","journal-title":"IZA J Dev migration"},{"key":"B31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/jcop.22377","article-title":"Trauma nation: Exposure to traumatic events among South African university students","author":"Padmanabhanunni","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Community Psychology;"},{"key":"B32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"113658","DOI":"10.1016\/j.psychres.2020.113658","article-title":"The unbearable loneliness of COVID-19: COVID-19-related correlates of loneliness in South Africa in young adults","volume":"296","author":"Padmanabhanunni","year":"2021","journal-title":"Psychiatry Res"},{"key":"B33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"20","DOI":"10.1207\/s15327752jpa6601_2","article-title":"UCLA loneliness scale (Version 3): reliability, validity, and factor structure","volume":"66","author":"Russell","year":"1996","journal-title":"J Pers Assess"},{"key":"B34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4102\/ajopa.v4i0.63","article-title":"The applicability of the UCLA loneliness scale in South Africa: Factor structure and dimensionality","volume":"4","author":"Pretorius","year":"2022","journal-title":"Afr J psychol assessment"},{"key":"B35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1073191114542596","article-title":"The latent structure of loneliness: testing competing factor models of the UCLA loneliness scale in a large adolescent sample","volume":"22","author":"Shevlin","year":"2015","journal-title":"Assess (Odessa Fla)"},{"key":"B36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"798","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1467-9280.2005.01617.x","article-title":"How can I connect with thee? Let me count the ways","volume":"16","author":"Hawkley","year":"2005","journal-title":"psychol science"},{"key":"B37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"349","DOI":"10.1037\/0022-3514.70.2.349","article-title":"IQ and ego-resiliency: conceptual and empirical connections and separateness","volume":"70","author":"Block","year":"1996","journal-title":"J Pers Soc Psychol"},{"key":"B38","volume-title":"Manual for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory","author":"Spielberger","year":"1983"},{"key":"B39","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"385","DOI":"10.1177\/014662167700100306","article-title":"The CES-D scale: A self-report depression scale for research in the general population","volume":"1","author":"Radloff","year":"1977","journal-title":"Appl Psychol Meas"},{"key":"B40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0013164493053001026","article-title":"The metric equivalence of the UCLA Loneliness Scale for a sample of South African students","volume":"53","author":"Pretorius","year":"1993","journal-title":"Educ psychol Measurement"},{"key":"B41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.21926\/obm.neurobiol.2203130","article-title":"Generalized resistance resources in the time of COVID-19: the role of sense of coherence and resilience in the relationship between COVID-19 fear and loneliness among schoolteachers","volume":"6","author":"Padmanabhanunni","year":"2022","journal-title":"OBM Neurobiology"},{"key":"B42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10597-019-00425-5","article-title":"Towards understanding the relationship between psychosocial factors and ego resilience among primary school children in a Kenyan setting: A pilot feasibility study","volume":"55","author":"Ndetei","year":"2019","journal-title":"Community Ment Health J"},{"key":"B43","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s12144-022-02844-2","article-title":"The psychometric properties of the revised ego resiliency scale (ER89-R) in Chinese college students","volume":"42","author":"Chen","year":"2023","journal-title":"Curr Psychol (New Brunswick NJ)"},{"key":"B44","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0013164402062004005","article-title":"Reliability generalization of scores on the spielberger state-trait anxiety inventory","volume":"62","author":"Barnes","year":"2002","journal-title":"Educ psychol measurement"},{"key":"B45","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.amp.2021.11.007","article-title":"A serial model of the interrelationship between perceived vulnerability to disease, fear of COVID-19, and psychological distress among teachers in South Africa","volume":"180","author":"Padmanabhanunni","year":"2022","journal-title":"Annales m\u00e9dico psychologiques"},{"key":"B46","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2466\/pr0.1991.69.3f.1179","article-title":"Cross-cultural application of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale: A study of black South African students","volume":"69","author":"Pretorius","year":"1991","journal-title":"psychol Rep"},{"key":"B47","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"00469580221110520","DOI":"10.1177\/00469580221110520","article-title":"The mediating role of teacher identification in the relationship between psychological distress and teacher satisfaction during COVID-19","volume":"59","author":"Jackson","year":"2022","journal-title":"Inquiry"},{"key":"B48","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/0022-0167.49.4.484","article-title":"Examining the generalizability of problem-solving appraisal in black South Africans","volume":"49","author":"Heppner","year":"2002","journal-title":"J Couns Psychol"},{"key":"B49","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"11339","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph191811339","article-title":"The beneficial effects of professional identity: The mediating role of teaching identification in the relationship between role stress and psychological distress during the Covid-19 pandemic","volume":"19","author":"Pretorius","year":"2022","journal-title":"Int J Environ Res Public Health"},{"key":"B50","volume-title":"Multivariate Data Analysis","author":"Hair","year":"2010"},{"key":"B51","year":"2023"},{"key":"B52","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/1082-989X.6.2.115","article-title":"Estimating and testing mediation and moderation in within-subject designs","volume":"6","author":"Judd","year":"2001","journal-title":"psychol Methods"},{"key":"B53","volume-title":"Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach","author":"Hayes","year":"2017"},{"key":"B54","first-page":"57","article-title":"Tests of certain linear hypotheses and their application to some educational problems","volume":"1","author":"Johnson","year":"1936","journal-title":"Stat Res memoirs"},{"key":"B55","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2017.01293","article-title":"CAHOST: an excel workbook for facilitating the johnson-neyman technique for two-way interactions in multiple regression","volume":"8","author":"Carden","year":"2017","journal-title":"Front Psychol"},{"key":"B56","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0272431619858401","article-title":"Bidirectional relationships between school connectedness and internalizing symptoms during early adolescence","volume":"40","author":"Klinck","year":"2020","journal-title":"J early adolescence"},{"key":"B57","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"385","DOI":"10.1111\/papt.2016.89.issue-4","article-title":"Anxiety, depression and autonomy-connectedness: The mediating role of alexithymia and assertiveness","volume":"89","author":"Rutten","year":"2016","journal-title":"Psychol psychotherapy"},{"key":"B58","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1186\/s13690-022-00990-4","article-title":"Anxiety, depression, and social connectedness among the general population of eight countries during the COVID-19 pandemic","volume":"80","author":"Long","year":"2022","journal-title":"Arch Public Health = Arch belges sant\u00e9 publique"},{"key":"B59","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1521\/jscp.2019.38.7.605","article-title":"Emotion regulation in context: social connectedness moderates concurrent and prospective associations with depressive symptoms","volume":"38","author":"Marroqu\u00edn","year":"2019","journal-title":"J Soc Clin Psychol"},{"key":"B60","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0275004","article-title":"Social connectedness as a determinant of mental health: A scoping review","volume":"17","author":"Wickramaratne","year":"2022","journal-title":"PloS One"},{"key":"B61","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1521\/jscp.2011.30.6.583","article-title":"Ego-resiliency as a mediator between childhood trauma and psychological symptoms","volume":"30","author":"Philippe","year":"2011","journal-title":"J Soc Clin Psychol"},{"key":"B62","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10964-017-0691-7","article-title":"The role of ego-resiliency as mediator of the longitudinal relationship between family socio-economic status and school grades","volume":"46","author":"Alessandri","year":"2017","journal-title":"J Youth adolescence"},{"key":"B63","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1159\/000503708","article-title":"Coping and life satisfaction: mediating role of ego-resiliency in patients with rheumatoid arthritis","volume":"29","author":"Ziarko","year":"2020","journal-title":"Med principles practice"},{"key":"B64","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10560-015-0385-5","article-title":"A mediation effect of ego resiliency between stresses and mental health of North Korean refugee youth in South Korea","volume":"32","author":"Kim","year":"2015","journal-title":"Child Adolesc Soc work J"},{"key":"B65","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"237","DOI":"10.12934\/jkpmhn.2016.25.3.237","article-title":"Effects of ego-resilience interventions among children and adolescents in Korea: A meta-analysis","volume":"25","author":"Jung","year":"2016","journal-title":"J Korean Acad Psychiatr Ment Health Nursing"},{"key":"B66","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"91","DOI":"10.1111\/cp.12161","article-title":"The impact of culture on cognitive appraisals: Implications for the development, maintenance, and treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder","volume":"23","author":"Bernardi","year":"2019","journal-title":"Clin Psychol (Australian psychol Society)"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Psychiatry"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyt.2024.1466173\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,3]],"date-time":"2025-01-03T06:49:02Z","timestamp":1735886942000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyt.2024.1466173\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,3]]},"references-count":66,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fpsyt.2024.1466173"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpsyt.2024.1466173","relation":{},"ISSN":["1664-0640"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1664-0640","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,3]]},"article-number":"1466173"}}