Loneliness, quality of life, and life satisfaction among older adults: the mediating role of resilience

Abstract

Loneliness is a psychosocial factor associated with poorer quality of life and subjective wellbeing in later life. Few studies have examined whether resilience helps explain these associations among Korean older adults. This cross-sectional study examined whether resilience statistically mediated the associations of loneliness with quality of life and life satisfaction among Korean older adults. Data were drawn from the National Mental Health Survey of Korea 2021. Of 1,037 eligible adults aged 65–79 years, 1,018 participants with complete data were included in the analyses. Loneliness-related social disconnectedness, resilience, quality of life, and life satisfaction were assessed using survey-based measures, and mediation was examined using covariate-adjusted regression models and Sobel tests. Loneliness was negatively correlated with resilience (r = −0.42), quality of life (r = −0.41), and life satisfaction (r = −0.42), whereas resilience was positively correlated with quality of life (r = 0.34) and life satisfaction (r = 0.41). Mediation analyses showed patterns consistent with partial mediation by resilience in the association between loneliness and quality of life (Sobel Z = −5.19, p < 0.001) and in the association between loneliness and life satisfaction (Sobel Z = −6.96, p < 0.001). The corresponding final models had adjusted R2 values of 0.196 and 0.249, respectively. By examining both positive wellbeing outcomes, the study extends prior analyses of these national data beyond psychiatric outcomes and highlights resilience as a potentially modifiable psychological resource. Because the data were cross-sectional and key constructs were measured using brief survey indicators, causal interpretations should be avoided. Further longitudinal and intervention research should test whether resilience-building approaches, combined with efforts to reduce loneliness and strengthen social connection, can improve wellbeing in later life.