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Article

The Moderating Effect of Social Capital on the Relationship Between Loneliness and Depression in Older Adults

1
Department of Psychology, Graduate School, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, Republic of Korea
2
Department of Psychology and Psychotherapy, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, Republic of Korea
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Behav. Sci. 2025, 15(9), 1157; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15091157 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 9 July 2025 / Revised: 11 August 2025 / Accepted: 21 August 2025 / Published: 25 August 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Health Psychology)

Abstract

Loneliness contributes to depression in older adults, but research on effective intervention strategies remains limited. This study aims to examine the moderating effects of social capital on the relationship between loneliness and depression in older adults. Social capital was divided into structural and cognitive social categories. A self-report questionnaire was administered to 350 participants aged 65 or older, using the Korean version of the UCLA Loneliness Scale, Short-Form Geriatric Depression Scale, Structural Social Capital Scale, and Cognitive Social Capital Scale. Data from 334 patients were included in the final analysis, and the moderating effect was tested using Model 1 of the PROCESS Macro for SPSS. The results of this study are as follows: (1) it demonstrated that loneliness is a significant predictor of higher levels of depression; (2) structural social capital significantly moderated this relationship, indicating that the impact of loneliness on depressive symptoms varied according to the level of structural social capital; (3) cognitive social capital also moderated this relationship, suggesting that the influence of loneliness on depression differs based on the level of cognitive social capital. This study provides valuable foundational data for the development of prevention and intervention strategies targeting loneliness and depression in old age.
Keywords: older adults; loneliness; depression; social capital; structural social capital; cognitive social capital older adults; loneliness; depression; social capital; structural social capital; cognitive social capital

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MDPI and ACS Style

Jeong, E.S.; Bae, S.M. The Moderating Effect of Social Capital on the Relationship Between Loneliness and Depression in Older Adults. Behav. Sci. 2025, 15, 1157. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15091157

AMA Style

Jeong ES, Bae SM. The Moderating Effect of Social Capital on the Relationship Between Loneliness and Depression in Older Adults. Behavioral Sciences. 2025; 15(9):1157. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15091157

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jeong, Eun Seo, and Sung Man Bae. 2025. "The Moderating Effect of Social Capital on the Relationship Between Loneliness and Depression in Older Adults" Behavioral Sciences 15, no. 9: 1157. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15091157

APA Style

Jeong, E. S., & Bae, S. M. (2025). The Moderating Effect of Social Capital on the Relationship Between Loneliness and Depression in Older Adults. Behavioral Sciences, 15(9), 1157. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15091157

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