Associations of the will to live with loneliness and psychological resilience in young and middle-aged Turkish adults

Abstract

The will to live is a key motivational resource related to meaning, adaptation, and well-being. Most previous research has focused on older adults in Western countries, with limited evidence in younger populations and non-Western contexts. This study examined the relationships between the will to live, loneliness, and psychological resilience among young and middle-aged adults in Türkiye. It was hypothesized that the will to live would be negatively related to loneliness and positively related to psychological resilience. In this cross-sectional study, the sample consisted of 306 adults aged 19 to 63 years (M = 33.65, standard deviation = 7.74) in Türkiye. Data were collected using an online self-report survey including the Will to Live Scale, University of California, Los Angeles-8 Loneliness Scale, and Brief Resilience Scale. Participants were recruited via convenience and snowball sampling. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, and two-step hierarchical regression analyses were conducted using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. Demographic variables (age, gender, marital status, educational level, and income level) were controlled in regression models. Correlation analyses showed the will to live was significantly and negatively associated with loneliness (r = −.44, P < .01) and positively associated with psychological resilience (r = .32, P < .01). Loneliness was negatively associated with psychological resilience (r = −.45, P < .01). Hierarchical regression analyses also indicated that the will to live was significantly related to lower loneliness (β = −.42, P < .001) and higher psychological resilience (β = .32, P < .001) beyond demographic variables. The models explained 22% of the variance in loneliness and 15% of the variance in psychological resilience. The findings suggest that higher levels of the will to live are related to lower levels of loneliness and higher levels of psychological resilience in young and middle-aged adults. The results extend prior research by demonstrating its relevance beyond older populations in a Turkish cultural context. Meaning-centered perspectives may be relevant for further investigating the relationships between the will to live, loneliness, and psychological resilience.