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General health mediates the relationship between loneliness, life satisfaction and depression

A study with Malaysian medical students

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Abstract

Objective

To examine the associations between life satisfaction, loneliness, general health and depression among 172 medical students in Malaysia.

Method

Participants completed a questionnaire battery, which included the 12-item General Health Questionnaire, Beck’s Depression Inventory, the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale and the Satisfaction With Life Scale.

Results

Life satisfaction was negatively and significantly correlated with suicidal attitudes, loneliness and depression; and positively with health, which was negatively and significantly correlated with depression and loneliness. Self-concept was negatively correlated with loneliness and depression, depression was positively and significantly correlated with loneliness. Mediational analyses showed that the effects of loneliness and life dissatisfaction on depression were fully mediated by health.

Conclusion

Even though less satisfied, and particularly lonelier, individuals are more likely to report higher levels of depression, this is only the case because both higher loneliness and life dissatisfaction are associated with poorer health. These results are discussed in terms of their implications for the diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders in developing nations.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Public Health, University of Liverpool, Whelan Building, Quadrangle Brownlow Hill, Liverpool, L69 3GB, UK

    Viren Swami & Debbi Stanistreet

  2. Dept. of Psychology, Goldsmiths College, University of London, London, UK

    Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic

  3. Dept. of Psychiatry, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Dhachayani Sinniah & Thambu Maniam

  4. Hospital Mesra Bukit Padang, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

    Kumaraswami Kannan

  5. Dept. of Psychology, University College London, London, UK

    Adrian Furnham

Authors
  1. Viren Swami
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  2. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic
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  3. Dhachayani Sinniah
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  4. Thambu Maniam
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  5. Kumaraswami Kannan
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  6. Debbi Stanistreet
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  7. Adrian Furnham
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Viren Swami.

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Swami, V., Chamorro-Premuzic, T., Sinniah, D. et al. General health mediates the relationship between loneliness, life satisfaction and depression. Soc Psychiat Epidemiol 42, 161–166 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-006-0140-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-006-0140-5

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