Loneliness and life satisfaction in older adults in Peru: mediating effects of depression

Introduction: loneliness has a negative effect on life satisfaction, with depression potentially playing a mediating role, which requires further investigation. Objective: to investigate how depression mediates the relationship between loneliness and quality of life in a sample of older Peruvian adults. Methodology: 310 older adults participated (M = 68.77; SD = 7.22). The Patient Health Questionnaire 2, the UCLA-LS (three items), and the Diener’s Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) were administered. A mediational structural equation model was tested. The model's invariance across sex was also assessed using multigroup factor analysis. Additionally, the influence of variables on one another was analyzed using an effect size approach. Results: the proposed mediational model showed an adequate fit (CFI =.950, TLI =.930; RMSEA =.067; SRMR =.048). Loneliness has an inverse relationship with life satisfaction (β=-.478) and a direct relationship with depression (β =.566). Likewise, depression has an inverse relationship with life satisfaction (β =-.185). The indirect effect of loneliness on life satisfaction, through depression, was β =-.105. Favorable evidence of measurement invariance by sex was presented. Conclusions: depression acts as a mediator in the relationship between loneliness and life satisfaction among older Peruvian adults..