The Bridge of Hope: Mediating the Relationship Between Mindfulness and Loneliness
Daniel Gutiérrez, Margaret M. Poandl, Emily Kitching
The Journal of Humanistic Counseling June 23, 2026 DOI: 10.1002/johc.70050 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 676 |
| Population | Interpersonal trauma experiencers recruited online from a crowdsourcing platform |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Loneliness Psychological intervention Mental health Social connectedness Interpersonal communication Structural equation modeling Cognition Clinical psychology Psychotherapist Interpersonal relationship Intervention counseling Bridge graph theory Social support Social relationship |
| Key findings | Hope fully mediated the relationship between mindfulness and social connectedness, indicating that mindfulness's association with social connectedness operates through hope. The authors propose that cultivating hopeful cognition through therapeutic and contemplative practices may help treat loneliness in interpersonal trauma experiencers. |
Abstract
ABSTRACT This cross‐sectional study sought to explore hope as a mediator between mindfulness and loneliness and social connectedness by using a structural equation modeling data analysis approach to analyze the relationships. Among a sample of 676 interpersonal trauma experiencers recruited online from a crowdsourcing platform, hope fully mediated the relationship between mindfulness and social connectedness. These results expand understanding of the psychological underpinnings of loneliness and social connectedness, and provide implications for mental health practitioners to intentionally cultivate hopeful cognition through therapeutic and contemplative practices as a way to treat loneliness in interpersonal trauma experiencers. With loneliness on the rise, mental health professionals should consider hope‐ and mindfulness‐based interventions as potentially transformative.