The impact of sense of loneliness on geriatric depression: the mediating role of sense of mattering and psychological adjustment

Abstract

Background: Depression is a highly prevalent mental disorder in older adults, and among its highest risk factors is loneliness. Although this relationship is commonly evident, the mechanisms underlying it, such as sense of mattering and psychological adjustment, lack exploration. The current research aims to examine the relationship between loneliness and geriatric depression and explore the mediating roles of sense of mattering and psychological adjustment. Methods: A sample of 200 older adults (63.5% females; mean age = 75.6; SD = 8.806) were recruited from 24 geriatric homes in Cairo, Egypt. Participants responded to the Arabic versions of the Mini-Mental State Examination for excluding the severely demented, Geriatric Depression Scale-15, University of California, Los Angeles Loneliness Scale-version 3, General Mattering Scale, and Brief Adjustment Scale-6. The mediation analysis was conducted using multiple linear regression with Hayes’ process macro on SPSS26 and structural equation modeling on JASP0.18.1.0. Results: Sense of mattering and psychological adjustment showed a significant total effect (β =.051, 95%CI [.045,.056], z = 18.436, p