Loneliness and Negative Affective Conditions in Adults: Is There Any Room for Hope in Predicting Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms?
Open accessAbstract
This study examined the role of hope in understanding the link between loneliness and negative affective conditions (viz., anxiety and depressive symptoms) in a sample of 318 adults. As expected, loneliness was found to be a significant predictor of both anxiety and depressive symptoms. Noteworthy, hope was found to significantly augment the prediction of depressive symptoms, even after accounting for loneliness. Furthermore, we found evidence for a significant Loneliness × Hope interaction effect in predicting anxiety. A plot of the interaction confirmed that the association between loneliness and anxiety was weaker among high, compared to low, hope adults. Some implications of the present findings are discussed.
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Loneliness is associated with anxiety.
“and is also associated with anxiety [12, 14].”
From The prospective association of adolescent loneliness and low resilience with anxiety and depression in young adulthood: The HUNT study (2025) · cites this paper as [14]
Loneliness can lead to negative cognitive patterns, such as rumination and self-criticism, which are linked to anxiety and depression.
“Loneliness can lead to negative cognitive patterns, such as rumination and self-criticism, which are linked to anxiety and depression [14, 79].”
From The prospective association of adolescent loneliness and low resilience with anxiety and depression in young adulthood: The HUNT study (2025) · cites this paper as [14]
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“Alternatively, the inability to develop a sense of belonging is associated with loneliness, and is linked to poor psychological functioning (Van Orden et al., 2010).”
BackgroundLoneliness matters: a theoretical and empirical review of consequences and mechanisms
Hawkley, L. C., & Cacioppo, J. T. (2010) · Annals of Behavioral Medicine · doi:10.1007/s12160-010-9210-8 · Cited by 4,782 · see citing works
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A Meta-Analysis of Interventions to Reduce Loneliness
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“Consistent with past research findings (Heinrich & Gullone, 2006), results of both correlational and regression analyses from the present study affirmed a consistent positive association between loneliness and negative affective conditions, namely, anxiety and depressive symptoms.”
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Self-citationParlikar, N., Strand, L. B., Kvaløy, K., Espnes, G. A., & Moksnes, U. K. (2025) · Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology · doi:10.1007/s00127-025-02888-2 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
“Loneliness can lead to negative cognitive patterns, such as rumination and self-criticism, which are linked to anxiety and depression [14, 79].”
- Authors
- Muyan, M., Chang, E. C., Jilani, Z., Yu, T., Lin, J., & Hirsch, J. K.
- Affiliations
- Middle East Technical University (TR)
- University of Michigan (US)
- East Tennessee State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Muyan, Mine
- Chang, Edward C.
- Venue
- The Journal of Psychology
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2015-05-13
- Volume
- 150
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 333-341
- ISSN
- 0022-3980 (ISSN-L)
- 1940-1019
- OpenAlex
- W2198410617
- Cited by
- 67
- References
- 9
- Citations by year
- 2025: 7 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 1
- FWCI
- 5.97
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- hdl.handle.net
- Licence
- cc-by-nc-nd
- Locations
- The Journal of Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Digital Commons - East Tennessee State University (East Tennessee State University) (submittedVersion)
- OpenMETU (Middle East Technical University) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Optimism, Hope, and Well-being
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
- Keywords
- loneliness, hope, anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, negative affect, interaction effects
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Anxiety, Depression, Female, Humans, Loneliness, Male, Middle Aged, Prognosis, Young Adult
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