Loneliness as a Mediator in the Association Between Social Isolation and Psychological Distress: A Cross-Sectional Study With Older Korean Immigrants in the United States

Juyoung Park, Yuri Jang, Hans Oh, Iris Chi

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

The present study explored the role of loneliness in the association between social isolation and psychological distress, using a cross-sectional sample of older Korean immigrants in the U.S. Considering structural (unmarried and living alone) and relational (isolation from family and friends) social isolation, we hypothesized that (1) both types of social isolation would be associated with loneliness and psychological distress and (2) their effect on psychological distress would be mediated through loneliness. Data came from the Study of Older Korean Americans (SOKA), a multisite survey of Korean immigrants aged 60 and older (n = 2,150). The multivariate analyses demonstrated that older individuals with structural and relational isolation reported higher levels of loneliness and psychological distress. Loneliness was found to mediate the effect of both types of social isolation on psychological distress. The intervening role of loneliness suggests strategies to alleviate the mental health consequences of social isolation in older immigrants.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)438-447
Number of pages10
JournalResearch on Aging
Volume45
Issue number5-6
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 May 2023

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2022.

Keywords

  • Lubben Social Network Scale-6(LSNS-6)
  • loneliness
  • older Korean immigrants
  • psychological distress
  • social isolation

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