The relationship between self-esteem and happiness of college students in China:A moderated mediation model

The objective of the study is to explore the influence of self-esteem on the happiness levels of college students and the mediating roles of social avoidance and loneliness. 1021 college students between 18 and 24 years of age completed the Self-esteem Scale, General Well-being Scale, Social Avoidance and Distress Scale, UCLA Loneliness Scale and Interpersonal Trust Scale.And descriptive statistical analysis and correlation analysis, structural equation model analysis were conducted. The result turns out that Self-esteem negatively predicted the happiness levels of college students. Self-esteem indirectly predicted happiness through three paths: mediating the roles of social avoidance, mediating the roles of loneliness and the chain-mediated roles of social avoidance and loneliness in college students.Interpersonal Trust moderated the relationship between loneliness and happiness.The higher the self-esteem levels of the college students, the less happiness they experienced.