The mediating effect of social media addiction on the relationship between social and emotional loneliness and marital adjustment in married women

Creative Commons License

şener y., uzdil n., Günaydın Y.

Global nursing insights, cilt.13, sa.1, ss.82-91, 2026 (TRDizin)

Özet

Aim: This study aimed to determine the mediating effect of social media addiction on the relationship between social and emotional loneliness and marital adjustment in married women. Material and Methods: The study was descriptive and relational. The sample consisted of 569 married women. Personal Information Form, Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults (SELSA-S), Marital Adjustment Test (MAT), and Social Media Addiction Scale-Adult Form (SMAS-AF) were used to collect the data. Results: There was a small positive correlation between the mean SMAS-AF score and the mean SELSA-S score (r=0.296; p<0.01). Moreover, it was found that there was a small negative correlation between the mean SMAS-AF score and the mean MAT score (r=-0.293; p<0.01). In addition, it was found that there was a large negative correlation between the mean SELSA-S score and the mean MAT score (r= -0.657; p < 0.01). Finally, the mediating role of SMAS-AF was found to be at a low level. Conclusions: In this study, it was determined that social media addiction mediates the relationship between social and emotional loneliness and marital adjustment at a low level. Implication for nursing practice: Jointly assessing the social and emotional loneliness levels of married women and their social media use may contribute to the early identification of risks that could affect marital adjustment. Planning holistic and psychosocially focused approaches in women’s and family health services is important.