Frontiers in Public Health (Aug 2022)

The effect of subjective age on loneliness in the old adults: The chain mediating role of resilience and self-esteem

  • Jin Xie,
  • Jin Xie,
  • Bo Zhang,
  • Zhendong Yao,
  • Wenya Zhang,
  • Jingli Wang,
  • Chun-ni Zhao,
  • Xinquan Huang

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.907934
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10

Abstract

Read online

ObjectivesThis study aimed to explore the effect of subjective age on loneliness in old adults, and the mediating role of resilience and self-esteem in subjective age and loneliness.MethodsApproximately 450 old adults from Jiangxi, Hunan, Henan provinces completed the third edition of the Loneliness Scale (UCLA-LS III), Age Decade Scale (ADS), Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), and Self-Esteem Scale (SES).Results(1) Subjective age was significantly positively correlated with loneliness. (2) Resilience, self-esteem, and loneliness were significantly negatively correlated. (3) Subjective age affected loneliness through the mediating effects of resilience and self-esteem, respectively. (4) Resilience and self-esteem played a chain mediating role between subjective age and loneliness.ConclusionResilience and self-esteem can directly affect the loneliness of the old adults alone and can also affect the loneliness of the old adults through the chain mediating effect of resilience and self-esteem.

Keywords