The mediating role of hardiness in the relationship between perceived loneliness and depressive symptoms among older

Introduction: Perceived loneliness and depression are risk factors threatening mental well-being of older people. Yet, hardiness, a modifiable internal resource that supports functional resilience, may enhance the capacity of adjusting to challenges arising from age-related physical and psychosocial changes. Hence, hardiness can be a protective factor of mental health. This study examined the role of hardiness in the relationship between perceived loneliness and depressive symptoms among older people in Hong Kong. Methods: 424 Cantonese-speaking Chinese participants, aged 60 years or above, completed a self-reported questionnaire set related to perceived loneliness, hardiness, and depressive symptoms. Structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed model. Results: Results revealed that hardiness partially mediated the positive association between perceived loneliness and depressive symptoms [beta = .18, p < .001, BC 95% CI (.10, .27)] with good data-model fit [chi(2)(32) = 36.34, p = .27; CFI = .998; TLI = .997; RMSEA = .018; SRMR = .022]. Conclusion: Older people with higher level of perceived loneliness reported less hardiness. Lower levels of hardiness, in turn, correlated with increased self-reported depressive symptoms. The potential benefits of hardiness for promoting mental health of older people was discussed.