Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Psychiatric Quarterly, 2025 (SSCI, Scopus)
This study investigates how social appearance anxiety (SAA) influences Life satisfaction among emerging adults by examining the mediating role of loneliness and the moderating role of communication skills. Drawing upon the Sociocultural Theory of Body Image and the Interpersonal Theory of Loneliness, we propose a moderated mediation model situated within the Turkish cultural context. A sample of 375 Turkish emerging adults (Mage = 20.97, 79.7% female) completed validated self-report measures assessing SAA, loneliness, communication skills, and life satisfaction. Results from PROCESS macro (Model 7) indicated that SAA was significantly associated with lower life satisfaction, and this relationship was partially mediated by loneliness. Importantly, communication skills moderated the indirect effect: the association between SAA and loneliness was weaker among individuals with higher communication competence. These findings suggest that the emotional toll of appearance-related anxiety may not only operate through internal mechanisms but also manifest interpersonally through perceived social disconnection—especially in collectivist settings where relational harmony is central. Communication competence appears to buffer this pathway, highlighting the importance of culturally embedded interpersonal resources in promoting psychological well-being. Taken together, the study provides insights that extend beyond the Turkish context, offering implications for understanding body image concerns and relational resilience in diverse cultural settings. The study underscores the need for interventions targeting not only body image but also social-emotional skills that foster resilience in socially evaluative contexts.