Loneliness and Insomnia: Problematic Internet Use and Psychological Distress as Serial Mediators

Insomnia is a significant problem that has detrimental effects on both mental and physical health. Therefore, it is important to identify the factors associated with it. The present cross-sectional study investigates the mediating roles of problematic internet use (PIU) and psychological distress in the relationship between loneliness and insomnia. The study sample consisted of 546 adults (69.41% female, Mage=29.99 years, SD=8.37) from various occupational backgrounds residing in Türkiye, aged between 18 and 55. Participants completed a Demographic Information Form, the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, the Problematic Internet Use Scale, and the UCLA Loneliness Scale. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to examine the associations among the variables. The hypothesized mediation model was tested using a two-step structural equation modeling (SEM) approach. The results of the multiple serial mediation analysis showed that PIU and psychological distress fully mediated the relationship between loneliness and insomnia. In other words, loneliness is associated with higher levels of problematic internet use, which is linked to increased psychological distress, which in turn is linked to increased insomnia severity. Therefore, it is recommended that preventive and intervention efforts aimed at reducing insomnia focus on loneliness, PIU, and psychological distress. The findings of this study point to a multidimensional mechanism underlying the onset and maintenance of insomnia.