The mediating role of loneliness and mental well-being in the relationship between perceived social support and life satisfaction among university students residing in dormitories for women
Department of Social Work, Bilecik Şeyh Edebali University, Bilecik, 11230, Türkiye
Abstract
Dormitories are social environments in which university students spend a substantial part of their daily lives during their studies. This period is marked by significant academic, social and mental changes, and the reconstruction of social support networks, coping with loneliness, and maintaining mental well-being are critical for social work interventions. This study examines the serial mediating role of loneliness and mental well-being in the relationship between perceived social support and life satisfaction among female students residing in state dormitories. Using a quantitative, cross-sectional and correlational design, the study was conducted with 390 university students. Construct validity of the scales was assessed through exploratory factor analysis, and structural relationships among variables were tested via structural equation modelling and bootstrapping. The findings indicate that higher perceived social support reduces students’ loneliness, reduced loneliness enhances mental well-being, and increased mental well-being strongly improves life satisfaction. The significance of the serial mediation pathway suggests that social support promotes life satisfaction through a psychosocial process that diminishes loneliness and strengthens mental well-being. Overall, the study shows that life satisfaction is not a simple indicator of individual contentment but develops within a multidimensional process, underlining the importance of orienting services in state female dormitories toward a holistic student well-being model that supports psychosocial development.
Keywords
University students residing in dormitories for women,perceived social support,loneliness,mental well-being,life satisfaction
How to Cite
Karahan Coban, G. (2026). The mediating role of loneliness and mental well-being in the relationship between perceived social support and life satisfaction among university students residing in dormitories for women. International Journal of Eurasia Social Sciences, 17(65), 1032–1047. https://doi.org/10.70736/ijoess.2428
📄Akın, A., & Yalnız, A. (2015). Yaşam Memnuniyeti Ölçeği (YMÖ) Türkçe formu: Geçerlik ve güvenirlik çalışması. Elektronik Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 14(54), 95–102. [Crossref]
📄Alshammari, T. K., Rogowska, A. M., Alhussain, G. A., Alhatim, S. M., Alfageh, B. H., Almalag, H. M., … et al. (2026). Chain mediation of subjective assessment of insomnia and physical health in the relationship between loneliness and life satisfaction in undergraduate students: A biopsychosocial model of well-being. Frontiers in Public Health, 13, 1730076. [Crossref]
📄Aragonés-González, M., Giménez-Bertomeu, V. M., Ferrer-Aracil, J., & Cortés-Florín, E. M. (2026). Masculinities, gender roles and gender equality among social work students: Exploring the role of social work. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 46(1), 20–40. [Crossref]
📄Aydıner-Boylu, A., Günay, G., & Ersoy, A. F. (2019). Üniversite öğrencilerinde algılanan sosyal desteğin yalnızlık üzerindeki etkisinin incelenmesi. Sosyoekonomi, 27(41), 211–221. [Crossref]
📄Niazi, R. B., Bibi, M., & Maryam, N. (2025). Impact of hostel life on the psychological well-being and loneliness of nursing students. Social Science Review Archives, 3(2), 1287–1296. [Crossref]
📄Brisson, R., Furstova, J., Sokolová, L., Eriksson, C., Boniel-Nissim, M., & Badura, P. (2024). Trends in the link between perceived social support and life satisfaction in adolescents (2013/14–2021/22): A cross-national study. International Journal of Public Health, 69, 1607283. [Crossref]
📄Büyükkağnıcı, A. (2026). Between feminism and misogyny: The “pick me girl” discourse and gender policing among women on TikTok. Affilia: Feminist Inquiry in Social Work. Advance online publication. [Crossref]
📄Çetinkaya, B., & Tiryaki Göksu, Y. (2026). Perceived social support as a mediator in the link between loneliness and well-being: Insights from the transactional model and stress-buffering hypothesis. Participatory Educational Research, 13(3), 54–73. [Crossref]
📄Demirtaş, A. S., & Baytemir, K. (2019). Warwick-Edinburgh Mental İyi Oluş Ölçeği Kısa Formu’nun Türkçe’ye uyarlanması: Geçerlik ve güvenirlik çalışması. Elektronik Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 18(70), 689–701. [Crossref]
📄Doğan, T., Çötok, N. A., & Tekin, E. G. (2011). Reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the UCLA Loneliness Scale (ULS-8) among university students. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 15, 2058–2062. [Crossref]
📄Dominelli, L. (2002). Feminist social work theory and practice. Palgrave Macmillan. [Crossref]
📄Flaherty, J., & Richman, J. (1989). Gender differences in the perception and utilization of social support: Theoretical perspectives and an empirical test. Social Science & Medicine, 28(12), 1221–1228. [Crossref]
📄Hays, R. D., & DiMatteo, M. R. (1987). A short-form measure of loneliness. Journal of Personality Assessment, 51(1), 69–81. [Crossref]
📄Hicks, S. (2015). Social work and gender: An argument for practical accounts. Qualitative Social Work, 14(4), 471–487. [Crossref]
📄Hu, L., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 6(1), 1–55. [Crossref]
📄Iraz, R., Arıbaş, A. N., & Özşahin, F. (2021). Algılanan sosyal destek ve psikolojik iyi oluş ilişkisi: Üniversite öğrencileri örneği. Stratejik ve Sosyal Araştırmalar Dergisi, 5(2), 363–376. [Crossref]
📄Jaud, J., Görig, T., Konkel, T., & Diehl, K. (2023). Loneliness in university students during two transitions: A mixed methods approach including biographical mapping. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(4), 3334. [Crossref]
📄Kemph, J. P. (1969). [Review of the book Identity, youth and crisis, by E. H. Erikson]. Behavioral Science, 14(2), 154–159. [Crossref]
📄Khan, A., Zeb, I., & Fang, S. (2025). Gender differences in mental health experiences and perceived social support among university students: A qualitative case study. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being, 20(1), 2576004. [Crossref]
📄Lavallee, L. F., Hatch, P. M., Michalos, A. C., & McKinley, T. (2007). Development of the Contentment with Life Assessment Scale (CLAS): Using daily life experiences to verify levels of self-reported life satisfaction. Social Indicators Research, 83(2), 201–244. [Crossref]
📄Lee, C. Y. S., & Goldstein, S. E. (2016). Loneliness, stress, and social support in young adulthood: Does the source of support matter? Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 45(3), 568–580. [Crossref]
📄MacKinnon, D. P., Fairchild, A. J., & Fritz, M. S. (2007). Mediation analysis. Annual Review of Psychology, 58, 593–614. [Crossref]
📄Mahasneh, A. M. (2022). The relationship between subjective well-being and social support among Jordanian university students. Psychology in Russia: State of the Art, 15(2), 53–64. [Crossref]
📄Nadhilah, A., Jati, S. N., & Visyastuti, V. (2024). A comparative study of loneliness from psychological well being as predictor of mental health students living in dormitories: A cross cultural study. Jurnal Psikologi Tabularasa, 19(2), 114–124. [Crossref]
📄Nazir, T., & Ousman, Y. I. (2023). Loneliness among university students as a growing concerne. Journal of Family Counseling and Education, 8(2), 85–99. [Crossref]
📄Petersen, J., Reinwarth, A. C., Beutel, M. E., Brähler, E., & Decker, O. (2024). Development and validation of a brief three-item form of the Perceived Social Support Questionnaire (F-SozU K-3). International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 24(3), 100496. [Crossref]
📄Russell, D., Peplau, L. A., & Cutrona, C. E. (1980). The revised UCLA Loneliness Scale: Concurrent and discriminant validity evidence. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 39(3), 472–480. [Crossref]
📄Santini, Z. I., Jose, P. E., Cornwell, E. Y., Koyanagi, A., Nielsen, L., Hinrichsen, C., … et al. (2020). Social disconnectedness, perceived isolation, and symptoms of depression and anxiety among older Americans (NSHAP): A longitudinal mediation analysis. The Lancet Public Health, 5(1), e62–e70. [Crossref]
📄Sheu, H.-B., Liu, Y., & Li, Y. (2017). Well-being of college students in China: Testing a modified social cognitive model. Journal of Career Assessment, 25(1), 144–158. [Crossref]
📄Stewart-Brown, S. (2015). Measuring wellbeing: What does the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale have to offer integrated care? European Journal of Integrative Medicine, 7(4), 384–388. [Crossref]
📄Tennant, R., Hiller, L., Fishwick, R., Platt, S., Joseph, S., Weich, S., … et al. (2007). The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS): Development and UK validation. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 5, 63. [Crossref]
📄Tifferet, S. (2020). Gender differences in social support on social network sites: A meta-analysis. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 23(4), 199–209. [Crossref]
📄Türk, N., Özmen, M., & Derin, S. (2025). Psychological strain and suicide rumination among university students: Exploring the mediating and moderating roles of depression, resilient coping, and perceived social support. Healthcare, 13(15), 1875. [Crossref]
📄Xu, J., Yin, Y., & Cheng, K. (2026). Social support and life satisfaction among female college students: Serial mediation of grit and basic psychological needs satisfaction. The Journal of Psychology, 160(1), 45–61. [Crossref]
📄Yalçın, İ. (2015). İyi oluş ve sosyal destek arasındaki ilişkiler: Türkiye’de yapılmış çalışmaların meta analizi. Türk Psikiyatri Dergisi, 26(1), 21–32. [Crossref]
📄Yıldız, M. A., & Karadaş, C. (2017). Multiple mediation of self-esteem and perceived social support in the relationship between loneliness and life satisfaction. Journal of Education and Practice, 8(3), 130–139. https://www.iiste.org/Journals/index.php/JEP/article/view/35106
