Loneliness and Aloneliness as Mediators of the Associations Between Social Withdrawal and Internalizing Problems in Late Childhood and Early Adolescence

Abstract

The main aim of this study was to investigate a conceptual model linking subtypes of social withdrawal, social/asocial dissatisfaction, and internalizing problems in late childhood and early adolescence. Participants were N = 459 students ( n = 247 girls) aged 8–14 years ( M = 11.24, SD = 1.66), who completed self-reports assessments of social withdrawal subtypes (i.e., shyness and unsociability), loneliness and aloneliness, and internalizing problems (i.e., social anxiety and depression). Results from path analyses revealed that shyness was associated with social anxiety and depression via loneliness, whereas unsociability was related to depression and social anxiety via loneliness and associated with depression via aloneliness. Findings also suggested some moderating effects of age. This study highlights the contribution of loneliness and aloneliness in the link between social withdrawal subtypes and internalizing problems in late childhood and early adolescence.