Enriching the Mind as a Shield: The Role of Psychological Capital in the Relationship Between Mental Repression and Workplace Loneliness.

The present study aimed to explore the relationship between thought suppression and workplace loneliness, while examining the moderating role of psychological capital. Surveys were distributed online to employed workers in small and medium-sized enterprises across multiple provinces in China, utilizing the White Bear Suppression Inventory (WBSI), the Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ-24), and a Workplace Loneliness Scale. A total of 713 valid questionnaires were obtained for analysis. The results revealed a positive correlation between thought suppression and workplace loneliness (r = 0.398, p < .001), a negative correlation between psychological capital and workplace loneliness (r = -0.709, p < .001), and a negative correlation between psychological capital and thought suppression (r = -0.749, p < .001). Psychological capital significantly moderated the relationship between thought suppression and workplace loneliness (β = 0.210, t = 7.455, p < .001). According to the simple slope analysis, when psychological capital is low, thought suppression will exacerbate workplace loneliness, and when psychological capital is high, thought suppression will reduce workplace loneliness. This indicates that enhancing employees' psychological capital may transform thought suppression from a risk factor into a potential adaptive coping strategy to alleviate workplace loneliness.