Chain mediation of subjective assessment of insomnia and physical health in the relationship between loneliness and life satisfaction in undergraduate students: a biopsychosocial model of well-being

Introduction University students are at risk of experiencing health and mental challenges, including loneliness, insomnia, and poor physical health, which can negatively impact their life satisfaction. Understanding the mechanisms underlying these factors’ association is essential for promoting students’ well-being. Methods This is a cross-sectional survey-based study (from April to September 2024), involving 511 undergraduate students from several Saudi universities. We used validated measures of the General Health Scale, Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), UCLA Loneliness Scale (ULS-8), and Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS). Sex differences were examined, and associations between loneliness, insomnia, physical health, and life satisfaction were analyzed using Pearson’s correlation and mediation models. Results Our findings indicated that females reported significantly higher insomnia symptoms than males ( p < 0.05). Life satisfaction was negatively correlated with loneliness, insomnia, and poor health ( p < 0.001), while loneliness was positively associated with insomnia and poor health. Mediation analysis revealed that loneliness negatively contributes to life satisfaction both directly ( β = −0.41) and indirectly through increased insomnia and poor physical health. Loneliness significantly reduces life satisfaction among university students, with insomnia and poor physical health partially mediating this relationship. Discussion Addressing sleep disturbances and promoting physical health may help attenuate the adverse effects of loneliness and improve student well-being. Additionally, the results underscore the significance of social support in mitigating loneliness. Implementing future interventions, such as regular face-to-face interactions with friends and family, would help reduce loneliness and enhance life satisfaction.