Longitudinal Associations Among Trust, Loneliness, and Life Satisfaction Among University Students: A Between- and Within-Person Analysis.

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to examine the longitudinal association between trust, life satisfaction, and loneliness, particularly at the within-person level.

Method: We employed Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Models (RI-CLPM) to distinguish stable between-person differences from within-person fluctuations. A total of 1148 students (M_age = 18.46 ± 0.96 years; 63.41% women) from six Chinese universities participated in a six-wave, 3-year survey.

Results: Trust declined slightly over time. At the between-person level, trust was positively related to life satisfaction and negatively related to loneliness. At the within-person level, life satisfaction at T2, T3, and T4 positively predicted trust at T3, T4, and T5, respectively, and trust at T3 positively predicted life satisfaction at T4; trust at T4 and T5 negatively predicted loneliness at T5 and T6, respectively, and loneliness at T4 negatively predicted trust at T5. In addition, exploratory analysis indicated that loneliness may mediate the effect of trust on life satisfaction.

Conclusions: These findings expand our understanding of the link between social capital and health outcomes from a within-person dynamic perspective, suggesting that enhancing social capital and well-being may be mutually beneficial. Comprehensive student support programs that promote trust-building and reduce loneliness may be more effective in promoting overall well-being and social bonding.