The Mediation Role of Psychological Immunity in the Association Between Loneliness and Subjective Well-Being Among University Students

Authors

  • Zerlinda Christine Aldira Sanam Department of Psychology Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Nusa Cendana, Indonesia
  • Subandi Subandi Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6655-0038

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47679/jopp.8214622026

Keywords:

loneliness, university student, psychological immunity, subjective well being

Abstract

Subjective well-being is a crucial indicator of positive psychological functioning among university students. However, loneliness remains a prevalent psychosocial issue in this population and is consistently associated with lower levels of subjective well-being. While previous studies have established a strong negative association between loneliness and subjective well-being, the psychological mechanisms underlying this relationship require further examination. This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of psychological immunity in the association between loneliness and subjective well-being among university students. Data were collected from 347 undergraduate students aged 18–25 years using standardized self-report measures assessing loneliness, psychological immunity, and subjective well-being. Mediation analysis revealed that loneliness was negatively associated with psychological immunity, while psychological immunity was positively associated with subjective well-being. Furthermore, psychological immunity partially mediated the relationship between loneliness and subjective well-being (indirect effect = −0.246, 95% CI [−0.395, −0.098]). These findings suggest that psychological immunity may represent an important internal psychological process linking loneliness and subjective well-being. The results highlight the potential value of strengthening psychological immunity as a target for interventions aimed at enhancing subjective well-being among university students experiencing loneliness.

Author Biographies

Zerlinda Christine Aldira Sanam, Department of Psychology Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Nusa Cendana

Zerlinda Christine Aldira Sanam completed her graduate studies in psychology at the Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Gadjah Mada with a research focus on student mental health and subjective well-being. In addition to student mental health, her research interests also include issues related to violence against women, particularly from psychological perspectives on trauma, well-being, and recovery. She is especially interested in applying psychological research to the development of preventive and promotive mental health interventions in educational and community settings. She is currently a psychology lecturer at Universitas Nusa Cendana.

Subandi Subandi, Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Gadjah Mada

Subandi has taught and conducted research in psychology for many years and is currently a senior academic at Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Gadjah Mada with broad expertise spanning psychological methodology, research design and analysis, religious psychology, and health, clinical, and counselling psychology. His research interests focus on community mental health, indigenous psychology, mental illness, and the interface between psychology and religion. He is actively involved in research groups examining the relationships between culture and psychopathology, mental health, and spirituality.

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Published

2026-05-05

How to Cite

Sanam, Z. C. A., & Subandi, S. (2026). The Mediation Role of Psychological Immunity in the Association Between Loneliness and Subjective Well-Being Among University Students. Journal of Psychological Perspective, 8(2), 91–98. https://doi.org/10.47679/jopp.8214622026

Issue

Vol. 8 No. 2 (2026)

Section

Original Research Articles

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