The Role of Loneliness in the Relationship Between Social Anxiety and Subjective Well-Being: Using the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN) as a Measure

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to test the mediating role of loneliness in the relationship between social anxiety and subjective well-being while taking into account the multidimensionality of social anxiety. Reaching this aim was preceded by examining the psychometric properties of the Croatian translation of the SPIN on a sample of 202 students. The results show support for the one-dimensional structure of the SPIN. However, it has also been shown that several items of the inventory may be redundant and that a 2-factor structure (12 items) fits the data better. The first factor was described as "observation situations and negative evaluation", while the second represented "social avoidance and fear". The total SPIN score showed convergent and divergent construct validity as well as high levels of internal consistency and test- -retest reliability. Loneliness fully mediated the relationship between social anxiety and subjective well-being. The symptoms of social anxiety that contribute to its relation with subjective well-being through loneliness are those related to the concerns of being negatively evaluated or merely observed by others when experiencing or doing something.