Loneliness and socio-demographic predictors of life satisfaction among Saudi young adults.

Loneliness has emerged as a growing public health concern with profound implications for subjective wellbeing, yet its relationship with life satisfaction remains insufficiently examined among young adults in Arab societies, particularly in Saudi Arabia. This study investigated the association between loneliness and life satisfaction, and explored the socio-demographic predictors of life satisfaction among Saudi young adults. A cross-sectional survey design was employed with a convenience sample of 646 participants aged 18-25 years recruited from Saudi Arabia. Loneliness was measured using the UCLA Loneliness Scale (ULS-8), and life satisfaction was assessed using the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). Spearman correlation, Kruskal-Wallis tests, and a Generalized Linear Model (GLM) were used to examine associations and identify significant predictors. Results revealed a significant negative association between loneliness and life satisfaction. GLM analysis identified loneliness and income level as the strongest predictors of life satisfaction, while gender and age group were not significant predictors. These findings establish an empirical foundation for understanding the contexts in which loneliness most acutely undermines wellbeing among Saudi young adults, with implications for social work practice and the design of community-based interventions aimed at fostering belonging and social integration.