General health mediates the relationship between loneliness, life satisfaction and depression. A study with Malaysian medical students.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the associations between life satisfaction, loneliness, general health and depression among 172 medical students in Malaysia.


METHODS
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.


CONCLUSIONS
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.
Swami
Viren
V
Division of Public Health, University of Liverpool, Whelan Building, Quadrangle Brownlow Hill, Liverpool, L69 3GB, UK. virenswami@hotmail.com
Chamorro-Premuzic
Tomas
T
Sinniah
Dhachayani
D
Maniam
Thambu
T
Kannan
Kumaraswami
K
Stanistreet
Debbi
D
Furnham
Adrian
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008132:Loneliness / Q000523:psychology*; D008296:Malaysia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires