Relationship Between Loneliness and Mental Health Among First- Year Undergraduate Students: Mediating Role of Timeline Browsing and Chatting on Facebook

Abstract

Better academic performance is associated with adjustment in the educational institution. Newly enrolled students at undergraduate programs face some adjustment related problems (i. e. – loneliness etc.) in the new environment. The present study was aimed to explore the mediating role of Facebook timeline browsing and chatting with friends on Facebook in the relationship between loneliness and mental health among first-year undergraduate students. The study sample comprised of 180 first-year students who were selected purposively from the University of Chittagong. Results suggested significant gender differences in feelings of loneliness, chatting on Facebook, Facebook timeline browsing. Results explored the mediating role of timeline browsing in the relationship between loneliness and mental health, and this relation also moderated by gender. Loneliness, timeline browsing, and gender explained 50% variance of the mental health.