The Effects of Social Anxiety on Subjective Well-Being among Adolescents: The Mediating Roles of Mindfulness and Loneliness
Gülçin Güler Öztekin
Iğdır Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi May 31, 2024 DOI: 10.54600/igdirsosbilder.1433959 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 543 |
| Population | Turkish adolescents aged 15 to 18 years (53.6% female; mean age 16.45, SD=1.10) |
| Measures | Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents, Mindful Attention Awareness Scale Adolescent Form, UCLA Loneliness Scale Short Form, Adolescent Subjective Well Being Scale |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Key findings | Social anxiety was negatively associated with mindfulness and subjective well-being and positively associated with loneliness. Social anxiety had an indirect effect on subjective well-being through mindfulness and loneliness: mindfulness mitigated the adverse impact of social anxiety on well-being, whereas loneliness exacerbated it. The authors suggest mindfulness-based and loneliness-based interventions may be ameliorable. |
Abstract
Adolescence is an important period characterized by various transitions and changes. Experiencing social anxiety is a growing phenomenon among adolescents and affects their well-being and mental health. It is necessary to pay attention and understand the factors related to social anxiety to improve the subjective well-being of adolescents. The current study aimed to examine the mediating roles of mindfulness and loneliness in the association between social anxiety and subjective well-being among adolescents. Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents, Mindful Attention Awareness Scale Adolescent Form, UCLA Loneliness Scale Short Form, Adolescent Subjective Well Being Scale and General Information Form were used to collect data. 543 Turkish adolescents (53.6% female) participated in the study. The age range of the participants was 15 to 18 years, with a mean age of 16.45 years (SD=1.10). The results demonstrated that social anxiety was negatively associated with mindfulness and subjective well-being, and positively associated with loneliness. It has been determined that social anxiety had an indirect effect on subjective well-being through mindfulness and loneliness. Mindfulness mitigated the adverse impacts of social anxiety on subjective well-being whereas loneliness exacerbated this association. These results have shown that adolescents with high levels of social anxiety have lower mindfulness and higher loneliness, which in turn lead to less subjective well-being. The findings of the current study suggest that this situation may be ameliorable with mindfulness-based and loneliness-based interventions.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on anxiety, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychological flexibility mediates the relations between acute psychedelic effects and subjective decreases in depression and anxiety. International sample of people who reported having used a psychedelic | 2020 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 985 |
| The Challenging Experience Questionnaire: Characterization of challenging experiences with psilocybin mushrooms Internet survey respondents reporting challenging experiences with psilocybin | 2016 | Questionnaire development and validation | |
| Psychedelics and Mental Health: A Population Study Adult population in the United States | 2013 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 130,152 |
| The Role of Mindfulness and Psychological Flexibility in Somatization, Depression, Anxiety, and General Psychological Distress in a Nonclinical College Sample Ethnically diverse, nonclinical sample of college undergraduates (76% female) | 2011 | Observational cross-sectional survey | n = 494 |
| Ecstasy/MDMA attributed problems reported by novice, moderate and heavy recreational users Ecstasy users who participated in a WWW study of recreational drug use | 2002 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 282 |
Citations in the library
Cites 8
- Mechanisms of mindfulness Journal of Clinical Psychology December 29, 2005
- Assessing adolescent mindfulness: Validation of an Adapted Mindful Attention Awareness Scale in adolescent normative and psychiatric populations. Psychological Assessment 2011
- The integration of mindfulness and psychology Journal of Clinical Psychology April 1, 2009
- Effectiveness of training programs based on mindfulness in reducing psychological distress and promoting well-being in medical students: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Systematic Reviews May 5, 2023
- Using Mindfulness-Based Interventions to Support Self-regulation in Young Children: A Review of the Literature. Early childhood education journal March 21, 2022
and 3 more in the library