Perceived Social Support as a Mediator in the Link between Loneliness and Well-being: Insights from the Transactional Model and Stress-Buffering Hypothesis

Bünyamin Çetinkaya; Yeliz Tiryaki Göksu

doi:10.17275/per.26.34.13.3

Perceived Social Support as a Mediator in the Link between Loneliness and Well-being: Insights from the Transactional Model and Stress-Buffering Hypothesis

Abstract

International university students frequently encounter psychosocial challenges, including loneliness, cultural displacement, and limited social integration, which can undermine psychological well-being. Yet the role of perceived social support as a psychological mechanism linking loneliness to well-being in non-Western academic contexts remains under-examined. This study investigated whether perceived social support mediates the association between loneliness and psychological well-being among international students in Türkiye. Using a cross-sectional design, data were collected from 1,136 undergraduate international students who completed validated self-report measures of loneliness, perceived social support, and psychological well-being. Structural equation modeling with bootstrapped mediation analysis was employed to test the hypothesized relationships. Results indicated that loneliness was negatively associated with both perceived social support and psychological well-being, whereas perceived social support was positively associated with well-being. Mediation analysis revealed a significant indirect effect of loneliness on psychological well-being through perceived social support, with the direct association substantially reduced when support was included in the model. These findings highlight perceived social support as a central psychological mechanism through which loneliness affects well-being, underscoring the importance of culturally responsive interventions aimed at strengthening students’ perceptions of social support. Findings are interpreted within the transactional stress model and the stress-buffering hypothesis.

Keywords

international students, loneliness, perceived social support, psychological well-being, mediation analysis

Ethical Statement

The ethical approval for this study was also obtained from the ethics committee of Giresun University (Approval No. E-50288587-050.01.04-53661, 11/5). Informed consent was obtained from all participants.

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Internationalization in Higher Education

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Bünyamin Çetinkaya ^*
0000-0001-8435-5885
Türkiye

Yeliz Tiryaki Göksu
0000-0002-3502-8885
Türkiye

Publication Date

May 4, 2026

Submission Date

October 6, 2025

Acceptance Date

February 5, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 13 Number: 3

DOI

https://doi.org/10.17275/per.26.34.13.3

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA64PD96YF

APA

Çetinkaya, B., & Tiryaki Göksu, Y. (2026). Perceived Social Support as a Mediator in the Link between Loneliness and Well-being: Insights from the Transactional Model and Stress-Buffering Hypothesis. Participatory Educational Research, 13(3), 54-73. https://doi.org/10.17275/per.26.34.13.3

AMA

1.Çetinkaya B, Tiryaki Göksu Y. Perceived Social Support as a Mediator in the Link between Loneliness and Well-being: Insights from the Transactional Model and Stress-Buffering Hypothesis. PER. 2026;13(3):54-73. doi:10.17275/per.26.34.13.3

Chicago

Çetinkaya, Bünyamin, and Yeliz Tiryaki Göksu. 2026. “Perceived Social Support As a Mediator in the Link Between Loneliness and Well-Being: Insights from the Transactional Model and Stress-Buffering Hypothesis”. Participatory Educational Research 13 (3): 54-73. https://doi.org/10.17275/per.26.34.13.3.

EndNote

Çetinkaya B, Tiryaki Göksu Y (May 1, 2026) Perceived Social Support as a Mediator in the Link between Loneliness and Well-being: Insights from the Transactional Model and Stress-Buffering Hypothesis. Participatory Educational Research 13 3 54–73.

IEEE

[1]B. Çetinkaya and Y. Tiryaki Göksu, “Perceived Social Support as a Mediator in the Link between Loneliness and Well-being: Insights from the Transactional Model and Stress-Buffering Hypothesis”, PER, vol. 13, no. 3, pp. 54–73, May 2026, doi: 10.17275/per.26.34.13.3.

ISNAD

Çetinkaya, Bünyamin - Tiryaki Göksu, Yeliz. “Perceived Social Support As a Mediator in the Link Between Loneliness and Well-Being: Insights from the Transactional Model and Stress-Buffering Hypothesis”. Participatory Educational Research 13/3 (May 1, 2026): 54-73. https://doi.org/10.17275/per.26.34.13.3.

JAMA

1.Çetinkaya B, Tiryaki Göksu Y. Perceived Social Support as a Mediator in the Link between Loneliness and Well-being: Insights from the Transactional Model and Stress-Buffering Hypothesis. PER. 2026;13:54–73.

MLA

Çetinkaya, Bünyamin, and Yeliz Tiryaki Göksu. “Perceived Social Support As a Mediator in the Link Between Loneliness and Well-Being: Insights from the Transactional Model and Stress-Buffering Hypothesis”. Participatory Educational Research, vol. 13, no. 3, May 2026, pp. 54-73, doi:10.17275/per.26.34.13.3.

Vancouver

1.Bünyamin Çetinkaya, Yeliz Tiryaki Göksu. Perceived Social Support as a Mediator in the Link between Loneliness and Well-being: Insights from the Transactional Model and Stress-Buffering Hypothesis. PER. 2026 May 1;13(3):54-73. doi:10.17275/per.26.34.13.3