Lonely people with high self-efficacy are more resistant to depression: Cross-sectional study of the adult population

BackgroundLoneliness is considered to be a global public health problem with significant consequences for physical and mental well-being. It is associated with an increased risk of depression, anxiety and other adverse health outcomes. Although previous research has examined the relationship between loneliness and mental health, the role of self-efficacy as a potential moderating factor remains under-researched. The aim of this study is to examine the associations between loneliness, self-efficacy, depression and anxiety in a large representative sample of the general adult population in the Czech Republic.MethodsThe data (n = 1193; 50.3±15.5; 57% males) were collected in April 2021 through a cross-sectional study design, with an adult population, using an online survey. We measured anxiety (The Overall Anxiety Severity and Impairment Scale; OASIS), depression (The Overall Depression Severity and Impairment Scale; ODSIS), loneliness (The Three-Item Loneliness Scale; TILS) and self-efficacy (General Self-Efficacy Scale; GSES). Statistical analysis was performed using binary logistic regression, Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), Wilcoxon rank-sum and the Kruskal-Wallis test. ResultsPeople with higher loneliness were more likely to experience anxiety (odds ratio [OR] = 1.79, p < 0.001) and depression (OR = 1.77, p < 0.001); self-efficacy was associated with lower likelihood of these symptoms by 9% (OR = 0.91, p < 0.001). The SEM analysis revealed that loneliness was significantly associated with both anxiety and depression; higher self-efficacy significantly moderated the loneliness–depression relationship (β = -0.08, p = 0.03) by weakening this association.ConclusionLoneliness is associated with higher depressive and anxiety symptoms, while self-efficacy is the opposite. High self-efficacy is associated with a reduction in the negative mental health impacts of loneliness, which can be used in intervention programmes for vulnerable groups. The causal relationship should be tested in future studies.Keywordsloneliness, anxiety, depression, self-efficacy, OASIS, ODSIS