The Journal of Genetic Psychology

Research and Theory on Human Development

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Perceived Social Support and Life Satisfaction of

Malaysian Chinese Young Adults: The Mediating
Effect of Loneliness

Su-Wan Gan , Lean Suat Ong , Choy Hua Lee & Yee Sin Lin

To cite this article: Su-Wan Gan , Lean Suat Ong , Choy Hua Lee & Yee Sin Lin (2020): Perceived
Social Support and Life Satisfaction of Malaysian Chinese Young Adults: The Mediating Effect of
Loneliness, The Journal of Genetic Psychology, DOI: 10.1080/00221325.2020.1803196

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/00221325.2020.1803196

Published online: 13 Aug 2020.

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THE JOURNAL OF GENETIC PSYCHOLOGY
https://doi.org/10.1080/00221325.2020.1803196

Perceived Social Support and Life Satisfaction of Malaysian

Chinese Young Adults: The Mediating Effect of Loneliness
Su-Wan Gan, Lean Suat Ong, Choy Hua Lee, and Yee Sin Lin
Department of Psychology and Counseling, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Kampar, Malaysia

ABSTRACT ARTICLE HISTORY

This paper examined the role of loneliness in mediating the relation Received 28 February 2020
between social support and life satisfaction among Chinese young adults Accepted 27 July 2020
within the Malaysian context. Young adults (N ¼ 275; Mage ¼ 22.41; SD ¼
KEYWORDS
1.76; 57.5% females) completed self-administered questionnaires on the
Chinese; life satisfaction;
scales of perceived social support, loneliness and life satisfaction. The loneliness; perceived social
results of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) showed a partial mediation support; young adults
effect of loneliness on the relation between social support and life satisfac-
tion. The integration of the bottom-up theory of subjective well-being and
social cognitive theory is included to explain the mediating process. The
results revealed that perceived social support can relate to a lower level of
loneliness, which could eventually lead to higher levels of young adults’
life satisfaction. Overall, the findings highlighted the importance of social
support as well as their loneliness as a mediating pathway in promoting
Malaysian Chinese young adults’ life satisfaction. Interventions are also sug-
gested to optimize life satisfaction as a whole.

Life satisfaction is defined as an individual’s mental wealth and attitude toward quality of life
(Singh & Jha, 2008). According to Diener, Emmons, Larsen, and Griffin (1985), life satisfaction is
a cognitive assessment of a person’s subjective well-being. It globally evaluates some of the indi-
vidual life quality aspects such as family, school, friends, and others depending on individual cri-
teria. Life satisfaction is therefore crucial in many aspects of one’s life (Lewis, 2008). People could
evaluate the importance of one’s life events then conclude the degree of his or her life satisfaction
(Pavot & Diener, 2008). Frisch (2000) proposed that an individual’s satisfaction with life is
important to ameliorate both physical and mental health. High levels of life satisfaction may in
turn positively contribute to better aspects of the occupation, physical health, and mental health.
Additionally, life dissatisfaction has strongly shown direct implications for poor mental health
outcomes such as major depressive disorder (Rissanen et al., 2011). Despite the level of psycho-
pathology, psychiatric patients were found to suffer greater life dissatisfaction than the normal
general population (Honkanen et al., 2000).
Meanwhile, during the development and transition process, young adults may face a lot of
challenges and changes in their life circle (Schulenberg, Bryant, & O’Malley, 2004). Positive life
events such as success in work, academia, and relationships (Schulenberg et al., 2004) may bring
a higher degree of life satisfaction to individuals. Young adults who are living with family mem-
bers have also shown more satisfaction in their life (Stanojevi
c, Tomanovi
c, & Ljubici
c, 2016).
However, young adults without or lacking life satisfaction during early adulthood might engage
in many risky behaviors in life circumstances (e.g., drug use, aggressive behavior, sexual

CONTACT Su-Wan Gan gansuwan@gmail.com Department of Psychology and Counseling, Universiti Tunku Abdul
Rahman, Jalan Universiti, Bandar Barat, Kampar 31900, Malaysia.
ß 2020 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
2 S.-W. GAN ET AL.

activities), psychopathological symptoms (e.g., depression, anxiety, loneliness) and physical health
indices (e.g., eating behavior, exercise; Çakar, 2012). Subsequently, a past study (McKnight,
Huebner, & Suldo, 2002) found that life satisfaction is an intrapersonal strength useful in cush-
ioning the development of psychopathology in young adults when they are facing stressful
life events.
A study was done by Ting and Foo (2018) on the psychological resilience of Malaysian
Chinese found that although Malaysian Chinese have a history of resilience through immigration
and are found to be flexible and adaptable, they also face many psychological challenges. Chinese
in Malaysia may have developed psychological resilience due to the resources that they have
inherited via their historical and cultural contexts. Leaving their home and having to build a new
home and identity in a new land, just like students having to leave their homes and start a new
life in college, making them more flexible and adaptable. In their “survival” mode mentality they
also tend to have stronger work ethics. Chinese in Malaysia are also heavily invested in education
for the next generations. Students with high academic achievements in post-high school education
(colleges and universities) may be rewarded with the sponsorship of donations and scholarships.
However, despite their many strengths and resilience, they also face many psychological chal-
lenges. Chinese students are often burdened with overachievement, the obligations as a child, and
family reputation. The Malaysian National Health and Morbidity Survey in 2015 highlighted that
Malaysian students are struggling with emotional and social problems in addition to conduct,
peer, and hyperactivity issues (Ministry of Health Malaysia, 2015). According to The Malaysia
National Health and Morbidity Survey, it was found that there is a significant increase in mental
health problems (from 1996 to 2015) in both Malaysian Chinese adults and children (Ahmad
et al., 2015; Ministry of Health Malaysia, 2015). According to another study done by Latiff, Tajik,
Ibrahim, Abubakar, and Ali (2016), Malaysian Chinese students were also found to experience
the highest depression rate when compared to all ethnic groups (55%), which is associated with
their low academic performance and alcoholism. Another study by Boo, Yen, and Lim (2016)
indicated that when compared to other ethnic groups, Malaysian Chinese were the least happy as
shown by the negative relationship with happiness. These findings and statistics suggested that
Malaysian Chinese young adults might experience low satisfaction in their life.
This study integrated the bottom-up (Headey, Veenhoven, & Wearing, 1991) and social cogni-
tive theory (Bandura, 1989; 2001) to explain the proposed framework. Life satisfaction is a com-
bination of satisfaction in various life domains, one of which is social relationships (Diener,
1984). The bottom-up theory propositioned that particular variables can affect the individual’s
satisfaction with life. The bottom-up approach is applied to explain how people differ in weighing
each of their life domains which in turn determine their satisfaction to life. Individuals who value
social relationships assess their life satisfaction differently from those who emphasize work
achievement. The current study postulated that social life domains (i.e., perceived social support
and loneliness) are relatable to individuals’ life satisfaction. Social cognitive theory (Bandura,
1989; 2001) as a triadic reciprocal determinism theory postulated the reciprocal effect of behavior,
cognition, and environmental factors. Past studies have found the relation between intrapersonal
variables (cognitive and affective) and subjective well-being (Galinha & Pais-Ribeiro, 2012;
Headey et al., 1991), social support is deemed as a kind of cognitive component which is a per-
ception on a close relationship (Sarason & Sarason, 2009) whereas loneliness is a type of affective
component involving a subjective feeling of distress when social connections are not met, and
perceived to be insufficient (Matthews et al., 2016). With the integration of the bottom-up and
social cognitive theory, this study aimed to examine the mediating role of loneliness in the rela-
tion of perceived social support and life satisfaction.
Widely varying definitions of social support emerged and it is defined as a close relationship
that encounters a reciprocal direction tie (Sarason & Sarason, 2009) and the individual can gain
the emotional, physical, informational, and instrumental supports from others (Dunst, Trivette, &
 THE JOURNAL OF GENETIC PSYCHOLOGY 3

Cross, 1986). Social support is a process that promotes individual health and well-being via
positive social relationships; a person feels cared for and valued and it is a part of network com-
munication with others (Thompson, 2017). Consistent with other past studies (Gallagher & Vella-
Brodrick, 2008; Kong & You, 2013), Mahanta and Aggarwal (2013) revealed that individuals who
perceived high social support from others reported having a higher life satisfaction as compared
to those who perceived lower or no social support. The perceived social support could provide a
sense of being cared for, being loved and supported by family, friends, and significant other that
are important to overall wellbeing with low tendencies of mental illness (Mahanta &
Aggarwal, 2013).
Social support may also act as motivation for an individual as the way they approach stress
and engage in the act of problem-solving. Several studies found that social support can improve
one’s adjustment by boosting their coping skills, positive effect, self-confidence, self-mastery, and
the sense of personal satisfaction (Heller, Swindle, & Dusenbury, 1986; Lee & Goldstein, 2016).
Several lines of evidence (Guan & Fuligni, 2016; Matthews, Stansfeld, & Power, 1999) suggest that
social support alters various young adult development outcomes including physical, emotional,
psychological well-being, socioeconomic status, and employment that may influence the level of
life satisfaction in later life. The study by Lyubomirsky, King, and Diener (2005) also reported
that quality interpersonal relationships are related to positive social support from family, peers,
and others that lead to good mental health and longer life.
Besides that, loneliness is one of the indicators of life satisfaction. Loneliness can be defined as
the psychological distress feeling of a person while his or her desired quality and quantity of
social connections are not being met possibly at different stages of life (Matthews et al., 2016).
Presently, loneliness has emerged as a tantamount feeling of insecurity where people are fearful
of withdrawal or separation from the world that motivates them to form and maintain a social
connection and social affiliation (Cacioppo et al., 2006; Cacioppo & Hawkley, 2009). Over the
past two decades, most studies have found a negative relation between loneliness and life satisfac-
tion (Goodwin, Cook, & Yung, 2001; Kim, 1997; Puvill, Lindenberg, de Craen, Slaets, &
Westendorp, 2016; Schumaker, Shea, Monfries, & Groth-Marnat, 1993). Lonely people who may
be staying alone would have no interaction with the outside world (Karapetsas, Karapetsas,
Zygouris, & Fotis, 2015).
Loneliness is also a serious social issue during adulthood; it is becoming a hidden problem in
the modern society whereby loneliness may be affected by lack of friendship and social support.
UK mental health foundation has, in fact, implied that loneliness will have a greater impact on
young people than the elderly. Young adults aged between 18 to 34-year-old mentioned that they
often felt lonely as they feared to be alone and depressed (Gil, 2014). In Malaysia, a nonprofit
organization reaches out to the high risk of suicidal groups, Befriender reported about 20,000
Malaysians who have contacted the organization to seek for assistance. It was also found that
more than 20% of young adults in Malaysia feel lonely (Irsyad, 2015). It implied that approxi-
mately one out of every five people are reported to be lonely. In addition, there is a rise in loneli-
ness among Malaysians. A recent survey conducted by IPSOS (2020) found that Malaysia is one
of the top five countries with a high number of citizens thinking they would be feeling lonely in
the year 2020. Loneliness is detrimental to young adults as it increases the risk of several physical
and psychological health problems such as stress, depression, and even suicide (Mushtaq, Shoib,
Shah, & Mushtaq, 2014) as well as low life satisfaction. A previous study (Kader Maideen, Mohd
Sifik, Rampal, & Mukhtar, 2014) also revealed that Malaysian Chinese adults have a higher preva-
lence of depression as compared to Malaysian Malay and Indian.
Likewise, past studies (Kapikiran, 2013; Kong & You, 2013) have found a significant mediating
effect of loneliness on the relation between social support and life satisfaction. The feeling of
loneliness would depend on the individual’s perception of the strength of a social relationship
(Hawkley & Cacioppo, 2010; Matthews et al., 2016). Accordingly, young adults who received a
4 S.-W. GAN ET AL.

greater level of social support were reported having a lower level of loneliness (Zhao, Kong, &
Wang, 2013). The perceived social support can be positive and negative, which may correlate to
one’s satisfaction affecting an individual’s feelings in a social relationship. Previous research has
also reported that an individual’s both concurrent and later phases of the life span would be
greatly affected if there are failures in rapport-building and maintenance of committed relation-
ships in early adulthood (Kiecolt-Glaser & Newton, 2001). In a study conducted by Milevsky
(2005), emerging adults who received support from family members were shown experiencing a
lower level of loneliness and a higher level of life satisfaction as compared to those with lower
support. Adamczyk and Segrin (2015) explained that social support from family, friends, and sig-
nificant other can mitigate loneliness and contribute to a higher level of life satisfaction.
With the application of bottom-up and social cognitive theory, the mediating effect of loneliness
on the path of social support and life satisfaction can be explained. It is said that social support can
relate to a higher level of life satisfaction via the perceived lower level of loneliness based on the
positive social interaction experience. Thus, the present study aimed to determine the relations
among social support, loneliness, and life satisfaction of young adults. The study also further exam-
ines the mediating effect of loneliness on the relation between social support and life satisfaction.
The current study hypothesized that the positive relation between social support and life satisfaction
of Malaysian Chinese young adults will be significantly mediated by loneliness.
Furthermore, gender differences in life satisfaction are usually debatable as to whether between
female or male will be happier and more potentially satisfied with life (Stanojevi
c et al., 2016).
According to the gender role theory (Gove & Tudor, 1973), men and women have different life
satisfaction due to their differences in social roles. A study (Kong, Zhao, & You, 2012) conducted
in China showed a higher life satisfaction rate in females than males. In Malaysia, there are also
research studies indicating females having higher life satisfaction compared to males (Boo et al.,
2016). Another research done by Md-Sidin, Sambasivan, and Ismail (2010) in Malaysia supported
the findings which entail a significant difference between males and females in terms of the per-
ceptions of quality of life and that females scored higher compared to males in that aspect.
Another local study (Ng, Loy, Gudmunson, & Cheong, 2009) revealed that Malaysian Chinese
men have a higher level of marital satisfaction than women but no gender difference in life satis-
faction. Findings of previous research into the life satisfaction of men and women have been
inconsistent. Thus, gender will be a controlled variable in the mediation model.

Methods
Participants
The sample of the present study consists of 302 Chinese young adult participants aged between
18 and 25 (mean ¼ 22.41; SD ¼ 1.76) from 11 states (i.e., Kedah, Penang, Perak, Johor, Kelantan,
Kedah, Selangor, Melaka, Sabah, Negeri Sembilan, and Kuala Lumpur) in Malaysia. The data
were collected using an online survey method on 117 (42.5%) males and 158 females (57.5%).
The current occupational status of the participants indicated that there are 130 students (47.3%),
103 working adults (37.5. %), and 42 unemployed young adults (15.3%). The majority of the par-
ticipants (n ¼ 158; 57.5%) are single while (n ¼ 112; 40.7%) stated that they are in a romantic
relationship and only three of them are married (1.1%).

Measures
Social support
Social support from family, friend, and significant others was measured with the
Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) (Zimet, Dahlem, Zimet, & Farley,
 THE JOURNAL OF GENETIC PSYCHOLOGY 5

1988). This scale has 12 items with four items for each subscale. Participants were asked to
respond to a 7-point scale ranging from 1 (very strongly disagree) to 7 (very strongly agree). Some
examples of the items are “My family really tries to help me”, “I can talk about my problems
with my friends” and “I have a special person who is a real source of comfort to me”. Higher
mean scores reflected a higher level of social support. The Cronbach’s alpha for the social support
from friends, family, and significant other was .94.

Loneliness
Loneliness was assessed with the Loneliness Scale Version 3 (UCLA Loneliness Scale Version 3)
(Russell, 1996). The 20-item scale assessed the frequency of an individual feeling disconnected
from others. It contains items such as “I have nobody to talk to” and “I lack companionship” on
a 4-point scale (1 ¼ I never feel this way and 4 ¼ I often feel this way). All items were reverse-
scored. Higher mean scores indicated a higher level of loneliness. The scale reported high reliabil-
ity of .95 as the Cronbach’s alpha value.

Life satisfaction
Life satisfaction was measured with the 5-item Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) (Pavot &
Diener, 1993). Respondents were asked to fill out the 7-point scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7
(strongly agree) (e.g., “I am satisfied with my life”). Higher mean scores indicated a higher level
of life satisfaction. The Cronbach’s alpha was .89 representing its high reliability.

Procedure
Ethical approval was obtained from the University Scientific and Ethical Review Committee. An
online questionnaire was created with Qualtrics and it was distributed to target respondents. This
method is easier as an online survey method can access geographically diverse respondent groups
across national contexts (Craig & Douglas, 2001). Before answering the questionnaire, the
research purposes and instructions were briefed to participants. Next, the participants were asked
to fill out the informed consent form. The anonymity of the participants and the confidentiality
of their responses was assured. With no time limit for the completion of the questionnaire, all
responses were then automatically saved in Qualtrics software after the questionnaire was com-
pleted and submitted.

Data analysis
Descriptive statistics (i.e., mean and standard deviations) of the study variables were conducted.
Pearson’s correlation analysis was also employed to examine the relations of social support from
family, friends, and significant other. All the analyses were conducted using PASW 20 for
Windows. Moreover, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) consists of measurement models, and
structural models were performed to test the psychometric properties of the instruments and to
examine the mediating role of loneliness using AMOS 19 (Byrne, 2010; Schumacker & Lomax,
2010). Suggested fit indices for model fit include Chi-Square Statistic, Comparative Fit Index
(CFI), Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI), Incremental fit index (IFI), and Root Square Error of
Approximation (RMSEA). According to Hu and Bentler (1999), an acceptable value for each of
the CFI, TLI, and IFI is .90 and above; while the value of RMSEA must be below .06. The indir-
ect effect of loneliness was also examined using the bootstrapping method (Byrne, 2010).
Sampling distributions are estimated from random samples based on the original data. Preacher
and Hayes (2008) asserted that the mediator, loneliness, is statistically significant if zero is not
6 S.-W. GAN ET AL.

Table 1. Means, standard deviations, and correlations for all main variables.
M (SD) 1 2 3
1. Social support 5.01 (1.05) – – –
2. Loneliness 3.23 (0.58) .50  – –
3.Life satisfaction 4.29 (1.14) .55 .58  –

Note: M ¼ mean, SD ¼ standard deviation, p < .00.

included in the bias-corrected and accelerated 95% confidence interval (CI) of the medi-
ation effect.

Results
Measurement models
Prior to structural equation modeling testing, a measurement model that included social support
from family, friends, and significant other and loneliness and life satisfaction was generated. As
guided by modification indices, error terms between conceptually similar items were correlated.
The measurement model yielded a good fit, X2 (343) ¼ 663.14, p < .001, CFI ¼ .93, TLI ¼ .93,
IFI ¼ .93; RMSEA ¼ .058.

Correlations among social support from family, friends and significant other; loneliness
and life satisfaction
Table 1 contains means, standard deviations, and bivariate correlations for all main variables.
Social support was negatively related to loneliness but positively correlated to life satisfaction.
There was a significant negative correlation between loneliness and life satisfaction. The findings
supported that the assumptions underlying the mediation analysis were met.

Structural models
Using structural models, the researchers examined the mediating role of loneliness on the relation
of social support and life satisfaction. The model with gender and relationship status as controlled
variables yielded a good fit, X2 (396) ¼ 759.93, p < .001, CFI ¼ .92, TLI ¼ .92, IFI ¼ .93,
RMSEA ¼ .058. As shown in Figure 1, social support negatively predicted loneliness (B ¼ .58,
p < .001) and positively contributed to life satisfaction (B ¼ .38, p < .001). It was found that
loneliness negatively predicted life satisfaction (B ¼ .42, p < .001). The coefficient value for the
path from social support to life satisfaction became smaller when loneliness was included in the
model (B ¼ .24, p < .001). Interpretably, the relation between social support and life satisfaction
was partially mediated by loneliness (Baron & Kenny, 1986). The bootstrapping method (resample
¼ 2000) provides further evidence of the indirect effect from social support to life satisfaction
through loneliness (BCa 95% CI: .17, .33; p < .001). Put together, social support and loneliness
accounted for 51% of the variance of life satisfaction.

Discussion
Malaysian Chinese young adults in this study reported scoring averagely 4.29 with a standard
deviation of 1.14 for their life satisfaction. It is believed that most of the Malaysian Chinese
young adults had a moderate level of life satisfaction. The present study also examined the rela-
tions of social support, loneliness, and life satisfaction in Malaysian Chinese young adults. The
results of the correlational analysis found that there was a significant positive correlation between
 THE JOURNAL OF GENETIC PSYCHOLOGY 7

Figure 1. Mediational model of loneliness mediating the relation between social support and life satisfaction (N ¼ 302).
Note: Path coefficients are presented in standardized units. Path coefficient in parenthesis represented magnitude of indirect
effect after control for loneliness. Gender and relationship status were added as controlled variable,  p < .01, p < .001.

social support and life satisfaction. Similar to past studies (Kong et al., 2012; Zhao, Wang, &
Kong, 2014), young adults with high levels of social support were reported being more satisfied
with life. Social support can play a significant role in young adults’ physical and emotional devel-
opment as well as psychological well-being (Guan & Fuligni, 2016). Malaysian Chinese who
uphold collectivism and the importance of harmonious interpersonal relationships may find the
vital role of social support in contributing their satisfaction to life. Social support from friends,
family members, and significant others encourages young adults to deal with their problems.
Also, social support provides affiliation, care, and respect to the individuals. A local study also
found that social support from family and friends significantly contributed to a higher level of
life satisfaction of Malaysian youth (Yaacob, Foo, & Gan, 2017). Those who received a great sense
of care and concern from supportive members tend to feel more satisfied with life. According to
the bottom-up theory of subjective well-being (Diener, 1984), a high level of social support can
be linked to domain satisfaction as well as life satisfaction.
Meanwhile, a negative correlation was found between social support and loneliness. The results
indicated that young adults who reported high levels of social support experienced a lower level
of loneliness and vice versa. This also accords with the previous study (Zhao et al., 2013) which
showed perceived social support from family, friends, and significant other being negatively corre-
lated to loneliness. Individuals who received sufficient social support can deal with loneliness in a
better way (van Baarsen, 2002). The level of loneliness depends on the individual’s perception of
his or her social relationship quality. Those Malaysian Chinese young adults who reported high
social support tend to experience less insecure feeling and social withdrawal since their social
expectations from the supportive environment are fulfilled.
There was a significant negative association between loneliness and life satisfaction. Malaysian
Chinese young adults who experienced high levels of loneliness were more likely to report a lower
level of life satisfaction. Loneliness as an unwanted and negative feeling can be associated with
low life satisfaction. Following the present results, previous studies have also demonstrated that
there is a negative correlation between loneliness and life satisfaction (Adamczyk & Segin, 2015;
Nabavi & Bijandi, 2018). Lonely people who feel left out and helpless tend to perceive their life
as meaningless thus report a higher level of life dissatisfaction.
According to the results of the mediation model in the present study, loneliness had partially
mediated the relation of social support and life satisfaction in Malaysian Chinese young adults.
Past studies (Kapikiran, 2013; Kong & You, 2013) had also shown an indirect effect of social sup-
port on life satisfaction via loneliness. The findings thus indicate that Malaysian Chinese young
adults with supportive family, friends, and significant others had perceived themselves as
resourceful individuals and that there is always someone to rely on for any difficult circumstan-
ces. Such social support that fulfills young adults’ need for caring and positive interpersonal
8 S.-W. GAN ET AL.

relationships makes them feel less lonely. Besides, higher level of social support also provides
positive feelings for young adults toward their social life thus leading them to be more satisfied
with life conditions. Young adults with social support also experienced a strong relationship tie
with others apart from enhancing their companionship with family, friends, and significant other.
While reducing their feelings of isolation and loneliness, they judge their lives being closer to
their ideal states and thus are more satisfied. Past studies (Boo et al., 2016; Latiff et al., 2016)
found that Malaysian Chinese reported having the least happiness and highest depression rate as
compared to other ethnicity groups. However, the findings of this study suggest that social sup-
port is very important for Malaysian Chinese to develop a higher level of life satisfaction via miti-
gating the feelings of loneliness with a close relationship and support from others. All these
results corroborate the proposition of the bottom-up theory of subjective well-being (Diener,
1984) and social cognitive theory (Bandura, 1989; 2001) in explaining the importance of positive
social relationships on life satisfaction. Social support as a cognitive component involves close
relationships whereas loneliness as affective component represents the subjective feeling of distress
when an individual perceives lack of companionship. As such, Malaysian Chinese young adults
with high social support tend to achieve the feeling of affection and joy, which is an important
factor to mitigate the feelings of loneliness contributing to a higher level of life satisfaction.

Limitations and future directions

In the present study, some limitations need to be acknowledged. First, this research was a cross-
sectional research that limits the ability to make inferences regarding causality (Creswell, 2009).
Longitudinal research is thus recommended for future study as it can identify the causes and con-
sequences of the variables. Specifically, longitudinal investigations would facilitate the understand-
ing of the quasi-mediational model in the present study (Maxwell & Cole, 2007). Second, even
though the self-administered questionnaire might seem to be the most suitable tool to apply to a
similar research topic, the responses may be affected by social desirability and perceptual bias.
Also, the present study has examined life satisfaction in general. To develop the full picture of
life satisfaction, future researchers can extend the study by examining various life domains such
as standard of living and work.

Conclusion
Despite the limitations above, the present study has several noteworthy strengths. Together, the
results provide important insights into the gap in the literature on processes that may explain the
association between social support and life satisfaction. The findings identified the mediating role
of loneliness on the path from social support to life satisfaction of Malaysian Chinese young
adults. This suggests that the individual who received a higher level of social support are less
likely to feel lonely, which could eventually lead to higher levels of young adults’ life satisfaction.
The present study also utilized structural equation modeling to examine the psychometric proper-
ties of the measures via measurement models. The use of bootstrapping methods to examine the
mediating model further enhances the validity of the model in this cultural sample for future
studies (Preacher & Hayes, 2008).
Overall, the issues emerging from the findings relate specifically to the contributing effect of
social support and the negative effect of loneliness on life satisfaction. An implication of this
study is the possibility of implementing some offline and online workshops and programs for
young adults to enhance their social relationships as well as to offer assistance while they are
overwhelmed by loneliness. Activity such as Community Support Campaign is important in
enriching individuals’ lives in the community regardless of their background, age, or income. The
activities can be organized for Malaysian Chinese young adults to take the initiative to gain social
 THE JOURNAL OF GENETIC PSYCHOLOGY 9

support and form a positive relationship especially in this society that is advocating independence
and self-reliance. Workshops such as Anti-Loneliness and Cuddle Workshops can serve to
increase the awareness of impacts of loneliness on an individual, increase opportunities for indi-
viduals to understand more, embrace and defeat loneliness as well as provide guidance on how to
increase self-confidence and socialize with others. These interventions are vital to providing
Malaysian Chinese young adults with methods of overcoming loneliness so that they can enjoy
better and healthier lives to give back to our society.

Acknowledgments
The authors would also like to thank the guest editor and anonymous reviewers for their contribution to
this review.

Disclosure statement
The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication
of this article.

Funding
This is a self-funded research.

Notes on contributors
Su-Wan Gan is an assistant professor at the Department of Psychology and Counselling, Universiti Tunku Abdul
Rahman, Malaysia. She obtained her Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from Universiti Putra Malaysia. Her
research interest is on developmental psychology, family studies, and child and adolescent development outcomes.

Lean Suat Ong is a practicing mental health consultant who is currently doing her Doctoral studies in Psychology
at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia. Her research interest includes gerontology, women’s studies, positive
psychology and health. She is also a published author of two self-help books.

Choy Hua Lee was an undergraduate student who studies Bachelor degree (Hons) in Psychology at Faculty of Arts
and Social Science, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman. Her research interest is on life satisfaction, social support
and loneliness.

Yee Sin Lin was an undergraduate student who studies Bachelor degree (Hons) in Psychology at Faculty of Arts
and Social Science, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman. His research interest is on life satisfaction, social support
and loneliness.

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