Examining the relationship between resilience and loneliness among adolescents: The mediating role of social anxiety

The aim of the current research is to examine the direct relationships between resilience, social anxiety, and loneliness and whether social anxiety mediates the relationship between resilience and loneliness among adolescents. The sample of the current study consisted of 526 students (258 female / 268 male), aged from 14 to 18 years old, studying at the high schools in Turkey/Denizli. In line with the purpose of the research, the study was conducted by cross-sectional design. In the current study, some scales are used as data collection tools as follows: The UCLA Loneliness Scale, The Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents, and The Brief Resilience Scale. The analyses of the research were conducted by SPSS and AMOS programs. The findings of the research showed that resilience was significantly and negatively associated with social anxiety and loneliness, and social anxiety was significantly and positively associated with loneliness. Also, the study result indicated that social anxiety fully mediated the relationship between resilience and loneliness among adolescents. The theoretical and practical implications of the current findings were discussed. Key Words: Resilience, social anxiety, loneliness, adolescence