The Relationship Between Self-Esteem and Quarter-Life Crisis Mediated by Loneliness Among University Students in Sidoarjo

Abstract

Quarter-life crisis is a period of uncertainty and fear characterized by negative emotions such as alienation, fear of failure, anxiety, and helplessness. This study aims to determine the relationship between self-esteem and quarter-life crisis, mediated by loneliness, among 342 college students in Sidoarjo aged 18–25 years. The researchers proposed two hypotheses: first, there is a significant negative relationship between self-esteem and quarter-life crisis. Second, loneliness mediates the relationship between self-esteem and quarter-life crisis in college students in Sidoarjo. This study used a non-experimental quantitative research design with a correlation method. The instruments used in this study were the quarter life crisis scale (α = .769), the loneliness scale (α = .837), and the self-esteem scale (α = .880). The results showed that self-esteem had a negative effect on loneliness (β = –0.283, p < .001) and loneliness had a positive effect on quarter-life crisis (β = 0.313, p < .001). Self-esteem also has a direct effect on reducing quarter-life crisis (β = 0.082, p = .035). In addition, loneliness was found to mediate the effect of self-esteem on quarter-life crisis (β = –0.089, p < .001). These findings indicate that the higher the self-esteem of students, the lower the level of loneliness and quarter-life crisis they experience.