How does Maternal Absence Affect Adolescent Loneliness? The Role of Rejection Sensitivity and Friendship Quality

Objectives: Loneliness among left-behind adolescents is the most frequently reported emotional problem because of parental neglect. The present study explored the relationship between maternal absence and adolescent loneliness as well as its mechanisms. Methods: The study included 305 participants (Meanage = 15.99 ± 0.81, 48.9% females) in southeast China, and constructed a chain mediation model to test the roles of rejection sensitivity and friendship quality. Parent absence types, rejection sensitivity, friendship quality, and adolescent loneliness were all assessed with questionnaires. Results: The results showed that adolescents with a mother absent (both-parent absent, mother-only absent) experienced higher levels of loneliness than those with a mother not absent (father-only absent, non-parent absent) (β = 0.3137, 95%CI [0.0849, 0.5425], p < 0.01). Besides, the mediating roles of rejection sensitivity (β = 0.0344, 95%CI [0.0020, 0.0808]) and friendship quality (β = 0.1198, 95% CI [0.0049, 0.2428]) and their chain mediating role were found significant between maternal absence and loneliness (β = 0.0245, 95% CI [0.0015, 0.0575]). Conclusions: These findings have revealed the significant impact of maternal absence on adolescent loneliness and provide important practical implications for educators to reduce adolescent loneliness.