Relationship between shyness and loneliness among Chinese adolescents: Social support as mediator

We examined the mediating role of social support in the relationship between shyness and loneliness among 618 Chinese adolescents, by administering the Revised Cheek and Buss Shyness Scale, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and UCLA Loneliness Scale (Version 3). The results showed that a higher level of shyness was associated with a lower level of social support and a higher level of loneliness, and loneliness was negatively correlated with social support. The mediation analysis result indicated that social support partially mediated the relationship between shyness and loneliness. Thus, reducing shy feelings and enhancing social support may be preventive measures to help relieve adolescents’ feelings of loneliness.