The Relationship Between Loneliness and Life Satisfaction among Employed Young Adults Living Alone in Seoul: The Mediating Effects of Depression, Fairness Perception, and Social Participation Perception

This study aims to examine the mediating effects of depression, fairness perception, and social participation perception on the relationship between loneliness and life satisfaction among employed young adults living alone in Seoul. To achieve this, data from 1,179 individuals who identified as single-person households in the “2022 Seoul Youth Panel Survey” conducted by the Seoul Institute were analyzed. The research model was evaluated using structural equation modeling (SEM). Specific indirect effects were estimated using phantom variables, and their statistical significance was examined through bootstrapping. The main findings of the study are as follows: First, loneliness significantly negatively impacts life satisfaction. Second, depression adversely affects fairness perception, social participation perception, and life satisfaction. Third, depression serves as a mediator between loneliness and life satisfaction, with significant sequential double mediating effects observed for both depression and fairness perception, as well as depression and social participation perception. This study contributes to the literature by empirically demonstrating that both intrapersonal experiences and perceptions of society mediate the relationship between loneliness and life satisfaction among employed young adults, offering important implications for counseling interventions and social policy.