This study aimed to examine the mediating role of maladaptive
cognitive emotion regulation strategies and self-compassion in the
relationship between loneliness and depression in single-person youth
households. To this end, data were collected from 37...
This study aimed to examine the mediating role of maladaptive
cognitive emotion regulation strategies and self-compassion in the
relationship between loneliness and depression in single-person youth
households. To this end, data were collected from 376 single-person
households aged 20 to 40 nationwide using self-report questionnaires,
including the Korean version of the UCLA Loneliness Scale (3rd edition),
the CES-D (Consciousness and Depression Scale), the Maladaptive
Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies Scale (CES), and the
Self-Compassion Scale (K-SCS). Descriptive statistics and correlation
analyses were conducted using SPSS 25.0 and AMOS 26.0, and the
measurement model, research model, and mediating effects were tested.
The results of this study are summarized as follows:
First, positive correlations were found between loneliness and
depression, loneliness and maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation
strategies, and maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies and
depression. Loneliness and self-compassion, maladaptive cognitive emotion
regulation strategies and self-compassion, and self-compassion and
depression were negatively correlated. Second, when examining the mediating effects of two mediating variables
on the effect of loneliness on depression, maladaptive cognitive emotion
regulation strategies demonstrated a separate mediating effect, while
self-compassion did not. Third, when examining the double mediating effects of maladaptive
cognitive emotion regulation strategies and self-compassion on the
relationship between loneliness and depression, the double mediation effect
of maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies and self-compassion
sequentially was found to be insignificant. This study empirically confirmed the effect of loneliness on depression
in single-person youth households, confirming the significant mediating
role of maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies in the
relationship between loneliness and depression. Furthermore, it was
confirmed that loneliness impacts self-compassion, lowering its level. This
study is significant in that it specifically presents the psychological
mechanism by which loneliness in single-person households leads to
depression, and it aims to provide basic data for developing intervention
strategies for young counselors experiencing loneliness in counseling
settings.