Alone and under pressure: the transdiagnostic role of loneliness, stress, and psychological inflexibility in university students
IntroductionUniversity students face growingmental health challenges that demand both clinical and population-level strategies. Psychological inflexibility, perceived stress, and loneliness have been proposed as key transdiagnostic factors influencing mental health, yet their interrelationships rema...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-08-01
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| author | Silvia L. Vaca-Gallegos Mateo Peñaherrera-Aguirre Daniela Batallas Belén M. Paladines-Costa Carla López-Nuñez Pablo Ruisoto Pablo Ruisoto Pablo Ruisoto |
| author_facet | Silvia L. Vaca-Gallegos Mateo Peñaherrera-Aguirre Daniela Batallas Belén M. Paladines-Costa Carla López-Nuñez Pablo Ruisoto Pablo Ruisoto Pablo Ruisoto |
| author_sort | Silvia L. Vaca-Gallegos |
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| description | IntroductionUniversity students face growingmental health challenges that demand both clinical and population-level strategies. Psychological inflexibility, perceived stress, and loneliness have been proposed as key transdiagnostic factors influencing mental health, yet their interrelationships remain unclear.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional survey among 7,905 students from 11 Ecuadorian universities. Validated instruments were used to assess psychological inflexibility (AAQ-II), perceived stress (PSS), loneliness (UCLA-3), anxiety and depression (PHQ-4), and life satisfaction (LSQ). Data were analysed using Sequential Canonical Analysis to examine direct and indirect associations among predictors and outcomes.ResultsAnalysis revealed a structured cascade: psychological inflexibility predicted perceived stress, which in turn predicted loneliness. All three variables contributed independently to mental health outcomes. Loneliness was the strongest predictor of anxiety, depression, and reduced life satisfaction, supporting its role as a chronic social stressor. Together, these factors explained 45% of the variance in a higher-order mental health factor and 35% of the variance in life satisfaction.DiscussionFindings underscore the need for integrated strategies in higher education that address both individual vulnerability and social isolation. Framed within Rose’s distinction between the causes of individual cases and the causes of population incidence, results highlight loneliness as a central target for preventive and clinical interventions. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Kabale University |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-ab9fe251ca3c442ea4ff045966efb6912025-08-20T03:41:39ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652025-08-011310.3389/fpubh.2025.16425291642529Alone and under pressure: the transdiagnostic role of loneliness, stress, and psychological inflexibility in university studentsSilvia L. Vaca-Gallegos0Mateo Peñaherrera-Aguirre1Daniela Batallas2Belén M. Paladines-Costa3Carla López-Nuñez4Pablo Ruisoto5Pablo Ruisoto6Pablo Ruisoto7Department of Psychology, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Loja, EcuadorSchool of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United StatesLaboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychobiology and IDOCAL, University of Valencia, Valencia, SpainDepartment of Psychology, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Loja, EcuadorDepartment of Personality, Assessment and Psychological Treatments, School of Psychology, University of Seville, Seville, SpainDepartment of Health Sciences, Public University of Navarre, Pamplona, SpainNavarra Institute for Health Research (IdiSNA), Pamplona, SpainInstitute for Advanced Social Research (I-COMMUNITAS), Pamplona, SpainIntroductionUniversity students face growingmental health challenges that demand both clinical and population-level strategies. Psychological inflexibility, perceived stress, and loneliness have been proposed as key transdiagnostic factors influencing mental health, yet their interrelationships remain unclear.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional survey among 7,905 students from 11 Ecuadorian universities. Validated instruments were used to assess psychological inflexibility (AAQ-II), perceived stress (PSS), loneliness (UCLA-3), anxiety and depression (PHQ-4), and life satisfaction (LSQ). Data were analysed using Sequential Canonical Analysis to examine direct and indirect associations among predictors and outcomes.ResultsAnalysis revealed a structured cascade: psychological inflexibility predicted perceived stress, which in turn predicted loneliness. All three variables contributed independently to mental health outcomes. Loneliness was the strongest predictor of anxiety, depression, and reduced life satisfaction, supporting its role as a chronic social stressor. Together, these factors explained 45% of the variance in a higher-order mental health factor and 35% of the variance in life satisfaction.DiscussionFindings underscore the need for integrated strategies in higher education that address both individual vulnerability and social isolation. Framed within Rose’s distinction between the causes of individual cases and the causes of population incidence, results highlight loneliness as a central target for preventive and clinical interventions.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1642529/fulllonelinessperceived stresspsychological inflexibilitymental healthlife satisfactiontransdiagnostic model |
| spellingShingle | Silvia L. Vaca-Gallegos Mateo Peñaherrera-Aguirre Daniela Batallas Belén M. Paladines-Costa Carla López-Nuñez Pablo Ruisoto Pablo Ruisoto Pablo Ruisoto Alone and under pressure: the transdiagnostic role of loneliness, stress, and psychological inflexibility in university students Frontiers in Public Health loneliness perceived stress psychological inflexibility mental health life satisfaction transdiagnostic model |
| title | Alone and under pressure: the transdiagnostic role of loneliness, stress, and psychological inflexibility in university students |
| title_full | Alone and under pressure: the transdiagnostic role of loneliness, stress, and psychological inflexibility in university students |
| title_fullStr | Alone and under pressure: the transdiagnostic role of loneliness, stress, and psychological inflexibility in university students |
| title_full_unstemmed | Alone and under pressure: the transdiagnostic role of loneliness, stress, and psychological inflexibility in university students |
| title_short | Alone and under pressure: the transdiagnostic role of loneliness, stress, and psychological inflexibility in university students |
| title_sort | alone and under pressure the transdiagnostic role of loneliness stress and psychological inflexibility in university students |
| topic | loneliness perceived stress psychological inflexibility mental health life satisfaction transdiagnostic model |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1642529/full |
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