The Mediating Effect of Hopelessness and the Moderated Mediating Effect of Mental Well-Being In the Relationship between Loneliness and Life Satisfaction Among Young Single-Person Households

Background

The rapid increase in young single-person households has raised concerns regarding their psychological well-being and life satisfaction. Loneliness, a prevalent psychosocial condition among young adults, has been consistently associated with adverse mental health outcomes, including hopelessness. While prior research has established the negative effects of loneliness, its influence on life satisfaction may operate through cognitive-emotional mechanisms rather than direct pathways. In addition, positive mental health resources such as mental well-being may buffer these effects. Grounded in the diathesis–stress model and the mental health model, this study examines the mediating role of hopelessness in the relationship between loneliness and life satisfaction and investigates whether this mediating process varies across levels of mental well-being.

Methods

Data were drawn from a cross-sectional survey of young single-person households in Korea (N = 118). Participants were recruited nationwide, and all variables were measured using validated self-report scales with satisfactory internal consistency. Loneliness was assessed using a 20-item scale, hopelessness using a 23-item scale, mental well-being using a 14-item scale, and life satisfaction using a 5-item scale. Descriptive statistics and correlation analyses were conducted to examine the relationships among key variables. A moderated mediation model was estimated using generalized linear modeling (GLM) procedures to test the indirect effect of loneliness on life satisfaction via hopelessness and the conditional effect of mental well-being. Covariates included gender, age, region, education level, subjective health status, and socioeconomic status.

Results

Loneliness was positively associated with hopelessness (β = .469, p < .001), indicating that higher levels of loneliness were linked to increased hopelessness. However, loneliness did not have a statistically significant direct effect on life satisfaction (β = .046, p > .05). Hopelessness, in turn, had a significant negative effect on life satisfaction (β = −.665, p < .001), and fully mediated the relationship between loneliness and life satisfaction (indirect effect β = −.312, p < .001). Furthermore, mental well-being significantly moderated the indirect effect (β = .305, p < .01), such that the negative impact of loneliness on life satisfaction through hopelessness was attenuated at higher levels of mental well-being.

Implications

These findings suggest that the relationship between loneliness and life satisfaction among young single-person households operates through hopelessness rather than through a direct pathway. This highlights the importance of targeting cognitive-emotional mechanisms, particularly hopelessness, in interventions aimed at improving well-being. Moreover, mental well-being functions as a protective factor that buffers the adverse effects of loneliness, underscoring the value of promoting positive mental health resources. From a policy and practice perspective, interventions should move beyond single-factor approaches and adopt integrated strategies that address emotional, relational, and structural dimensions of young adults’ lives. A mechanism-based and profile-sensitive approach may enhance the effectiveness of efforts to improve life satisfaction in this population.