Social anhedonia and social functioning: Loneliness as a mediator

Abstract

Social anhedonia is associated with reduced social functioning and diminished reward from social interactions. Individuals expressing social anhedonia are likely to experience reduced social connectedness and feel lonely. Loneliness is also associated with reduced social functioning. Therefore, loneliness could account for the relationship between social anhedonia and social functioning. We aimed to determine whether loneliness mediates the relationship between social anhedonia and reduced social functioning. In total, 824 young adults (M age = 21.03, SD = 5.59; 72.3% female) completed the Revised-Social Anhedonia Scale (RSAS), University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale, and the Social Functioning Scale (SFS). Scores on thee SFS were summed into six subscales: Social Withdrawal, Relationships, Social Activities, Recreational Activities, Independence (Competence), and Independence (Performance). Negative affect (Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales-21 [DASS] total score) was included as a covariate. Both the RSAS and the UCLA Loneliness Scale were negatively correlated with overall and all social functioning subscales. The DASS-21 positively correlated with all variables of interest. Mediation analyses revealed that loneliness partially mediated the relationship between social anhedonia and the social functioning subscales, with the exception of Recreational Activities. However, loneliness was a full mediator for the relationship between social anhedonia and overall social functioning. The study findings suggest that targeting loneliness in interventions may be important for improving various aspects of social functioning in those individuals who express social anhedonia.

Stigma-related stress, complex correlates of disclosure, mental health, and loneliness in minor-attracted people.

“…The level of loneliness reported by this sample is markedly elevated and requires further comment. Across several comparison samples available in past research, the level of loneliness in the present sample of MAPs is elevated when compared with that of university students ( d = 1.64, Russell, 1996; d = 0.95, Tan et al, 2020), community-dwelling adults ( d = 1.74, Knight et al, 1988), and adults over the age of 65 ( d = 2.35, Ausín et al, 2019), gay, lesbian, and bisexual adults ( d = 0.63, Kakoullis, 2001; d = 0.84, Martin & Knox, 1997), and even individuals with histories of sexual offending ( d = 0.64, Beggs & Grace, 2011; d = 0.86, Elliott et al, 2009; d = 0.53, Marshall et al, 1998; d = 1.01, Olver et al, 2014; d = 0.91, Wielinga et al, 2019); the lattermost being a population characterized as experiencing elevated rates of loneliness (Marshall, 1989). These comparisons, while not representing a systematic review of the available literature, suggest MAPs experience markedly higher rates of loneliness and may further emphasize loneliness as an important risk factor for mental health concerns in this population 6…”

Associations of emotion recognition, loneliness, and social functioning in euthymic patients with bipolar disorder

“…5 Loneliness, one of the subjective measures of psychological wellbeing, has been repeatedly demonstrated to be associated with poor social functioning and increased risks of developing a variety of physical health and mental problems. 10,11 Loneliness has been defined as the absence of socially integrative relationships and of intimate relationships. 12 Previous studies revealed that lower perceived social support was found to be a significant predictor of greater impairment in functioning in BD, 12 but less literature has directly reported an association between loneliness and functional impairments in this population.…”

“…Loneliness, one of the subjective measures of psychological wellbeing, has been repeatedly demonstrated to be associated with poor social functioning and increased risks of developing a variety of physical health and mental problems 10,11 . Loneliness has been defined as the absence of socially integrative relationships and of intimate relationships 12 .…”

Parental Punishment and Adolescents’ Loneliness: A Moderated Mediation Model of General Self-Concept and Teacher–Student Relationships

“…Loneliness is therefore a common negative emotional experience during adolescence ( Shevlin et al, 2014 ; Goossens, 2018 ) that is detrimental to both physical and mental health ( Holt-Lunstad et al, 2015 ; Kearns et al, 2015 ). Indeed, many studies have found that loneliness makes significantly impact to individuals and society, such as inducing depression ( Kılınç et al, 2020 ; Wang et al, 2021 ), affecting social function ( Tan et al, 2020 ), and leading to problematic behaviors ( McKay et al, 2017 ). Overall, the above literature clearly shows that loneliness adversely affects physical and mental health.…”