The Indirect Association of Psychological Well‐Being in the Relationship Between Social Anxiety and Loneliness Among Older Adults: A Cross‐Sectional Study in Tehran

BACKGROUND: Population ageing and its associated challenges have become a significant public health issue globally. Like other countries, Iran is witnessing a rapid increase in the number of older adults. It is estimated that the population aged 60 years and older will constitute 10.5% and 21.7% of Iran's population in 2025 and 2050, respectively. These figures emphasize the necessity of finding appropriate strategies for healthy ageing. This study aimed to examine the indirect association of psychological well-being in the relationship between social anxiety and loneliness among older adults in Tehran. Pet ownership was an inclusion criterion and was not analysed as a study variable. METHODS: This descriptive-correlational study was conducted in Tehran, Iran, between October 2025 and March 2026. A total of 430 older adults with pets were recruited and completed the study. After removing six outliers, 424 participants were included in the final analysis. Data were collected using the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale, Psychological Well-Being Scale and Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS-SR). The collected data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). RESULTS: Based on the findings of this cross-sectional study among 424 older adults in Tehran, most participants were aged 60-70 years and female. The mean scores of psychological well-being (39.73), loneliness (32.26) and social anxiety (47.68) were moderate. Social anxiety was associated with higher levels of loneliness directly (β = 0.496) and showed a positive indirect association with loneliness through lower levels of psychological well-being (β = 0.083). Moreover, psychological well-being was negatively correlated with loneliness (β = -0.192) and social anxiety (β = -0.432). In general, the results showed that psychological well-being and social anxiety were significantly associated with loneliness. CONCLUSION: According to the results of this study, social anxiety had the strongest association with loneliness among older adults. There was a partial indirect association through psychological well-being in the relationship between social anxiety and loneliness. Thus, the findings highlight the need to pay more attention to social anxiety and psychological well-being among older adults with pets.