Skip to main content
Intended for healthcare professionals
Restricted access
Research article
First published online July 10, 2016

Birth cohort changes in Chinese college students’ loneliness and social support: One up, as another down

Sufei Xin and Ziqiang Xin [email protected]View all authors and affiliations
Volume 40, Issue 5
https://doi.org/10.1177/0165025415597547

Abstract

With the dramatic recent changes in Chinese society, Chinese college students’ average levels of loneliness and social support might also have changed across their birth cohorts. The present cross-temporal meta-analysis of 56 studies (N = 21,541) found that Chinese college students’ scores on the UCLA Loneliness Scale (Version 3) increased gradually from 2002 to 2011. The increasing trend in loneliness occurred among both men and women. Another similar meta-analysis of 110 studies (N = 57,420) showed that Chinese college students’ scores on the Social Support Rating Scale decreased from 1999 to 2011, with a slightly larger shift occurring among college men. The increase in loneliness across birth cohorts among Chinese college students was associated with the decline of their perceived social support levels (especially objective social support).

Get full access to this article

View all access and purchase options for this article.

Get Access

References

Albrecht T. L., Goldsmith D. (2003). Social support, social networks, and health. In Thompson T. L., Dorsey A. M., Miller K. I., Parrott R. (Eds.), Handbook of health communication (pp. 263–284). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Google Scholar
Baltes P. B., Nesselroade J. R. (1972). Cultural change and adolescent personality development. Developmental Psychology, 7, 244–256.
Crossref
ISI
Google Scholar
Cacioppo J. T., Hughes M. E., Waite L. J., Hawkley L. C., Thisted R. A. (2006). Loneliness as a specific risk factor for depressive symptoms: Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. Psychology and Aging, 21, 140–151.
Crossref
PubMed
ISI
Google Scholar
Chang R. S., Wang Y., Xiong Y. G. (2007). An investigation and analysis of the situation of loneliness and coping styles of university students. Journal of Liaoning Normal University (Social Science Edition), 30(5), 57–59.
Google Scholar
Chen X. F. (2011). A study on the relationship between undergraduates’ interpersonal trust and social support. Journal of Changchun University, 21(2), 105–107.
Google Scholar
Chen F. G., Chen H. (2007). Development and strategy of adolescents’ loneliness. Health Medicine Research and Practice, 4(3), 86–89.
Google Scholar
Chen K., Zhang Y. Y. (2012). The relationship between social support and subjective well-being: The mediating effects of loneliness. Journal of Fuyang Teachers College, 5, 140–144.
Google Scholar
Civitci N., Civitci A. (2009). Self-esteem as mediator and moderator of the relationship between loneliness and life satisfaction in adolescents. Personality and Individual Differences, 47, 954–958.
Crossref
ISI
Google Scholar
Clark D. M. T., Loxton N. J., Tobin S. J. (2015). Declining loneliness over time: Evidence from American colleges and high schools. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 41, 78–89.
Crossref
PubMed
ISI
Google Scholar
Cobb S. (1976). Social support as a moderator of life stress. Psychosomatic Medicine, 38, 300–314.
Crossref
PubMed
ISI
Google Scholar
Cohen J. (1977). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences. New York: Academic.
Google Scholar
Cotterell J. (2007). Social networks in youth and adolescence. New York: Routledge.
Google Scholar
Donald C. A., Ware J. E. (1984). The measurement of social support. In Greenley R. (Ed.), Research in community and mental health (Vol. 4, pp. 325–370). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.
Google Scholar
Gentile B., Twenge J. M., Campbell W. K. (2010). Birth cohort differences in self-esteem, 1988-2008: A cross-temporal meta-analysis. Review of General Psychology, 14, 261–268.
Crossref
ISI
Google Scholar
Hawkley L. C., Cacioppo J. T. (2010). Loneliness matters: A theoretical and empirical review of consequences and mechanisms. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 40, 218–227.
Crossref
PubMed
ISI
Google Scholar
Hays R. B., Chauncey S., Tobey L. (1990). The social support networks of gay men with AIDS. Journal of Community Psychology, 18, 374–385.
Crossref
ISI
Google Scholar
Heinrich L. M., Gullone E. (2006). The clinical significance of loneliness: A literature review. Clinical Psychology Review, 26, 695–718.
Crossref
PubMed
ISI
Google Scholar
Huang S. L., Xin Z. Q., Hou J. W. (2014). The relationship between family background and the access opportunity to higher education and its trend. China Youth Study, 3, 46–52.
Google Scholar
Jackson T., Soderlind A., Weiss K. E. (2000). Personality traits and quality of relationships as predictors of future loneliness among American college students. Social Behavior and Personality, 28, 463–470.
Crossref
ISI
Google Scholar
Kertzer D. I. (1983). Generation as a sociological problem. Annual Review of Sociology, 9, 125–149.
Crossref
ISI
Google Scholar
Kuhirunyaratn P., Pongpanich S., Somrongthong R., Love E. J., Chapman R. S. (2007). Social support among elderly in Khon Kean Province, Thailand. Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health, 38, 936–946.
PubMed
Google Scholar
Leung L. (2011). Loneliness, social support, and preference for online social interaction: The mediating effects of identity experimentation online among children and adolescents. Chinese Journal of Communication, 4, 381–399.
Crossref
ISI
Google Scholar
Li C. Y. (2000). The study on the loneliness of 549 college students and its relation factors. Chinese Journal of Behavioral Medical Science, 9, 429–431.
Google Scholar
Li X. Y. (2010). The study on the relationship of social support and loneliness of college students. Medicine and Society, 23(4), 97–99.
Google Scholar
Li D. B., Lai Y. Y. (2008). A study of the social support’s influence on college and university students’ sense of loneliness. Journal of Xiangnan University, 29(6), 112–116.
Google Scholar
Liang Z. Q., Lu L., Yu J., Zhu S. J., Ji J. Y. (2003). The study of correlating factors of college students’ social support. Chinese Journal of Public Health, 19, 498–499.
Google Scholar
Liu D., Xin Z. Q. (2015). Birth cohort and age changes in the self-esteem of Chinese adolescents: A cross-temporal meta-analysis, 1996–2009. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 25(2), 366–376.
Crossref
ISI
Google Scholar
Liu J. Y. (2004). The relationship between college students’ Internet use and loneliness. Chinese Journal of Clinical Psychology, 12, 286–287.
Google Scholar
Luo G. L., Ruan J. H., Lou C. L., Fang Z. W., Zhu G. Q. (1999). Investigation and analysis of the feeling of loneliness among college students. Journal of Zhejiang University (Sciences Edition), 26(3), 112–115.
Google Scholar
Luo R., Zhou Q. (2007). Analysis of social support and interpersonal trust in junior students of universities. Modern Preventive Medicine, 34, 329–330.
Google Scholar
Lyyra T. M., Heikkinen R. L. (2006). Perceive social support and mortality in older people. The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences & Social Sciences, 61B, S147–S152.
Crossref
ISI
Google Scholar
Ma R. X. (2014). Research on interpersonal trust, social support and interpersonal communication of college students in Fujian Province. Journal of Chongqing Technology and Business University (Social Sciences Edition), 31(2), 156–160.
Google Scholar
Ma W. N., Lin F. (2006). Relationship between social support, self-efficacy and mental health in college students. Chinese Journal of Clinical Psychology, 14, 641–643.
Google Scholar
McWhirter B. T., Besett-Alesch T. M., Horibata J., Gat I. (2002). Loneliness in high risk adolescents: The role of coping, self-esteem, and empathy. Journal of Youth Studies, 5, 69–84.
Crossref
Google Scholar
National Bureau of Statistics of China. (2012). China statistical yearbook. Beijing: China Statistic Press.
Google Scholar
Oliver M. B., Hyde J. S. (1993). Gender differences in sexuality: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 114, 29–51.
Crossref
PubMed
ISI
Google Scholar
Peplau L. A., Perlman D. (1982). Perspectives on loneliness. In Peplau L. A., Perlman D. (Eds.), Loneliness: A sourcebook of current theory, research, and therapy (pp. 1–20). New York: Wiley-Interscience.
Google Scholar
Ponzetti J. J. (1990). Loneliness among college students. Family Relations, 39, 336–340.
Crossref
ISI
Google Scholar
Robinson W. S. (1950). Ecological correlations and the behavior of individuals. American Sociological Review, 15, 351–357.
Crossref
ISI
Google Scholar
Rosenthal R., Rosnow R. L., Rubin D. R. (2000). Contrasts and effect sizes in research: A correlational approach. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Google Scholar
Russell D. W. (1996). UCLA loneliness scale (Version 3): Reliability, validity, and factor structure. Journal of Personality Assessment, 66, 20–40.
Crossref
PubMed
ISI
Google Scholar
Russell D. W., Peplau L. A., Cutrona C. E. (1980). The Revised UCLA Loneliness scale: Concurrent and discriminant validity evidence. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 39, 472–480.
Crossref
PubMed
ISI
Google Scholar
Russell D. W., Peplau L. A., Ferguson M. (1978). Developing a measure of loneliness. Journal of Personality Assessment, 42, 290–294.
Crossref
PubMed
ISI
Google Scholar
Salimi A., Bozorgpour F. (2012). Perceived social support and social-emotional loneliness. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 69, 2009–2013.
Crossref
Google Scholar
Sarason I. G., Levine H. M., Basham R. B., Sarason B. R. (1983). Assessing social support: The social support questionnaire. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 44, 127–139.
Crossref
ISI
Google Scholar
Schaefer C., Coyne J. C., Lazarus R. S. (1981). The health-related functions of social support. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 4, 381–406.
Crossref
PubMed
Google Scholar
Segrin C., Domschke T. (2011). Social support, loneliness, recuperative processes, and their direct and indirect effects on health. Health Communication, 26, 221–232.
Crossref
PubMed
ISI
Google Scholar
Shaver P. R., Brennan K. A. (1991). Measures of depression and loneliness. In Robinson J. P., Shaver P. R., Wrightsman L. S. (Eds.), Measures of personality and social psychological attitudes (pp. 195–290). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
Crossref
Google Scholar
Stewart A. J., Healy J. M. (1989). Linking individual development and social changes. American Psychologist, 44, 30–42.
Crossref
ISI
Google Scholar
Sun Y. L., Guo S. P., Li H. H. (2009). The relationship between humor styles and loneliness among university students. China Journal of Health Psychology, 17, 153–155.
Google Scholar
Tao W. (2010). Correlation analysis of interpersonal trust and social support of college students. Journal of Ningbo Institute of Education, 12(2), 26–29.
Google Scholar
Tian W. L. (2002). The collapse of traditional large family system. Zhejiang Academic Journal, 3, 97–98.
Google Scholar
Tian L., Liu B., Huang S., Huebner E. S. (2013). Perceived social support and school well-being among Chinese early and middle adolescents: The mediational role of self-esteem. Social Indicators Research, 113, 991–1008.
Crossref
ISI
Google Scholar
Tomaka J., Thompson S., Palacios R. (2006). The relation of social isolation, loneliness, and social support to disease outcomes among the elderly. Journal of Aging and Health, 18, 359–384.
Crossref
PubMed
ISI
Google Scholar
Twenge J. M. (2000). The age of anxiety? Birth cohort change in anxiety and neuroticism, 1952–1993. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79, 1007–1021.
Crossref
PubMed
ISI
Google Scholar
Twenge J. M. (2010). Birth cohort increases in narcissistic personality traits among American college students, 1982–2009. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 1, 99–106.
Crossref
ISI
Google Scholar
Twenge J. M. (2011). The duality of individualism: Attitudes toward women, generation me, and the method of cross-temporal meta-analysis. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 35, 193–196.
Crossref
ISI
Google Scholar
Twenge J. M., Campbell W. K. (2001). Age and birth cohort differences in self-esteem: A cross-temporal meta-analysis. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 5, 321–344.
Crossref
ISI
Google Scholar
Twenge J. M., Gentile B., DeWall C. N., Ma D., Lacefield K., Schurtz D. R. (2010). Birth cohort increases in psychopathology among young Americans, 1938–2007: A cross-temporal meta-analysis of the MMPI. Clinical Psychology Review, 30, 145–154.
Crossref
PubMed
ISI
Google Scholar
Twenge J. M., Im C. (2007). Changes in the need for social approval, 1958–2001. Journal of Research in Personality, 41, 171−189.
Crossref
ISI
Google Scholar
Twenge J. M., Zhang L., Im C. (2004). It’s beyond my control: A cross-temporal meta-analysis of increasing externality in locus of control, 1960–2002. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 8, 308–319.
Crossref
PubMed
ISI
Google Scholar
Wang J. Y. (2010). Relationship among self-esteem, loneliness and life satisfaction in 303 college students. Chinese Journal of School Doctor, 24, 254–256.
Google Scholar
Wang X. D., Wang X. L., Ma H. (1999). Handbook of mental health assessment. Beijing: Chinese Mental Health Journal Press.
Google Scholar
Wang K. T., Yuen M., Slaney R. B. (2009). Perfectionism, depression, loneliness, and life satisfaction a study of high school Students in Hong Kong. The Counseling Psychologist, 37, 249–274.
Crossref
ISI
Google Scholar
Wei Y. Y. (2010). The influence factors and strategies of college students’ loneliness. Journal of Mudanjiang University, 19(6), 150–154.
Google Scholar
Xiao S. Y. (1994). The theoretical basis and applications of Social Support Rate Scale. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 4, 98–100.
Google Scholar
Xiao S. Y. (1999). The social support rate scale. In Wang X. D., Wang X. L., Ma H. (Eds.) The handbook of mental health rating scales (pp. 127–131). Beijing: Chinese Mental Health Journal Press.
Google Scholar
Xin Z. Q., Niu J. H., Chi L. P. (2012). Birth cohort changes in Chinese adolescents’ mental health. International Journal of Psychology, 47, 287–295.
Crossref
PubMed
ISI
Google Scholar
Xin Z. Q., Xin S. F., Zhang M. (2011). Changes in college students’ anxiety level in 1993–2009: A cross-temporal meta-analysis. Psychological Development and Education, 27, 648–653.
Google Scholar
Xin Z. Q., Zhang M. (2009). Changes in Chinese middle school students’ mental health (1992–2005): A cross-temporal meta-analysis. Acta Psychologica Sinica, 41, 69–78.
Crossref
Google Scholar
Xin Z. Q., Zhang M., He L. (2012). Changes in college students’ mental health: A cross-temporal meta-analysis. Acta Psychologica Sinica, 44, 664–679.
Crossref
Google Scholar
Xin Z. Q., Zhang L., Liu D. (2010). Birth cohort changes of Chinese adolescents’ anxiety: A cross-temporal meta-analysis, 1992–2005. Personality and Individual Differences, 48, 208–212.
Crossref
ISI
Google Scholar
Xin Z. Q., Zhou Z. (2012). A cross-temporal meta-analysis of changes in Chinese college students’ interpersonal trust. Advances in Psychological Science, 20, 344–353.
Crossref
Google Scholar
Yang W. J., Zhao F. T., Li Y. Q. (2011). Relationship between family functioning, loneliness and perceived social support of undergraduates. Chinese Journal of Health Psychology, 19, 1501–1502.
Google Scholar
Yeh S. C. J., Lo S. K. (2004). Living alone, social support and feeling lonely among the elderly. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 32, 129–138.
Crossref
ISI
Google Scholar
Zhang Z. T., Wang J. Q., Liu F. (2012). The relationship between parenting styles, perceived social support, loneliness and subjective well-being of undergraduates. China Journal of Health Psychology, 20, 1080–1083.
Google Scholar
Zhou L., Gu H. G. (2012). The relationship between loneliness and self-disclosure of college students. Contemporary Youth Research, 9, 65–70.
Google Scholar
Zimet G. D., Dahlem N. W., Zimet S. G., Farley G. K. (1988). The multidimensional scale of perceived social support. Journal of Personality Assessment, 52, 30–41.
Crossref
ISI
Google Scholar

Cite article

Cite article

Cite article

OR

Download to reference manager

If you have citation software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice

Share options

Share

Share this article

Share with email
EMAIL ARTICLE LINK
Share on social media

Share access to this article

Sharing links are not relevant where the article is open access and not available if you do not have a subscription.

For more information view the Sage Journals article sharing page.

Information, rights and permissions

Information

Published In

Volume 40, Issue 5
Pages: 398 - 407
Article first published online: July 10, 2016
Issue published: September 2016

Keywords

  1. College students
  2. cross-temporal meta-analysis
  3. loneliness
  4. social support

Rights and permissions

© The Author(s) 2015.
Request permissions for this article.

Authors

Affiliations

Sufei Xin
Institute of Developmental Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
View all articles by this author
Ziqiang Xin
Department of Psychology at School of Social Development, Central University of Finance and Economics, Beijing, China
[email protected]
View all articles by this author

Notes

Ziqiang Xin, Department of Psychology at School of Social Development, Central University of Finance and Economics, 39 Xueyuannan Road, Beijing 100081, China. Email: [email protected]

Metrics and citations

Metrics

Journals metrics

This article was published in International Journal of Behavioral Development.

VIEW ALL JOURNAL METRICS

Article usage*

Total views and downloads: 674

*Article usage tracking started in December 2016

Altmetric

See the impact this article is making through the number of times it’s been read, and the Altmetric Score.
Learn more about the Altmetric Scores


Articles citing this one

Receive email alerts when this article is cited

Web of Science: 27 view articles Opens in new tab

Crossref: 27

  1. The boredom proneness levels of Chinese college students increased ove...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  2. A cross-sectional historical study on the changes in self-esteem among...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  3. What allays loneliness? A fine-grained examination of daily social int...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  4. The contribution of cultural identity to subjective well-being in coll...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  5. Loneliness Among Black/African American Adults Living with HIV: Sociod...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  6. Gratitude mediates the relationship between leisure social support and...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  7. The impact of social change on the decreasing trend of subjective well...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  8. Loneliness across time and space
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  9. Impact of social economic development on positive and negative affect ...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  10. Psychological security in Chinese college students during 2006–2019: T...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  11. Depression in Chinese adolescents from 1989 to 2018: An increasing tre...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  12. The relationships between social support and loneliness: A meta-analys...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  13. Changes in empathy of nurses from 2009 to 2018: A cross-temporal meta-...
    Go to citation Crossref Google ScholarPub Med
  14. Impact of social economic development on personality traits among Chin...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  15. 半个多世纪来中国人的心理与行为变化——心理学视野下的研究
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  16. Impact of social changes and birth cohort on anxiety in adolescents in...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  17. Birth Cohort Changes in the Subjective Well-Being of Chinese College S...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  18. Life satisfaction and social anxiety among left‐behind children in rur...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  19. Changes in Work-Family Conflict of Chinese Employees: A Cross-Temporal...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  20. Changes in Chinese nurses' mental health during 1998–2016: A cross‐tem...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  21. Evaluating Links Among Shyness, Peer Relations, and Internalizing Prob...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  22. A cross-temporal meta-analysis of changes in medical college students&...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  23. Rule Comes First: The Influences of Market Attributes on Interpersonal...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  24. Cross-Lagged Panel Analyses of Child Shyness, Maternal and Paternal Au...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  25. 个人主义上升, 集体主义式微?——全球文化变迁与民众心理变化
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  26. A cultural psychological analysis of cultural change
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  27. Marketization process predicts trust decline in China
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar

Figures and tables

Figures & Media

Tables

View Options

Get access

Access options

If you have access to journal content via a personal subscription, university, library, employer or society, select from the options below:

ISSBD members can access this journal content using society membership credentials.

MEMBERSHIP LOGIN

ISSBD members can access this journal content using society membership credentials.

MEMBERSHIP LOGIN

Alternatively, view purchase options below:

Purchase 24 hour online access to view and download content.

Subscribe to this journal

Access journal content via a DeepDyve subscription or find out more about this option.

Start 2 week free trial
Need help?

View options

PDF/ePub

View PDF/ePub

Full Text

View Full Text
View full text|Download PDF

Also from Sage