The relationship between rejection sensitivity and social anxiety among Chinese college students: The mediating roles of loneliness and self-esteem

Interpersonal communication and interaction are important parts of college life. However, college students with high social anxiety fear others' negative evaluation, feel distress, and avoid social situations, which adversely affects their academic achievement and mental health. Therefore, it is crucial to explore the factors that influence social anxiety. This research aimed to examine the relationship between rejection sensitivity and social anxiety among Chinese undergraduate students, and further investigated the multiple mediating roles of loneliness and self-esteem. A total of 618 Chinese undergraduate students (64.7% female) aged 17 to 25 years completed an online survey. Participants were recruited through online methods from several colleges and universities in the Zhejiang province of China. Significant correlations were found between social anxiety, rejection sensitivity, loneliness, and self-esteem. Higher rejection sensitivity was related to higher social anxiety, and loneliness and self-esteem respectively not only played a partial mediating role but also served as chain mediators between rejection sensitivity and social anxiety. These findings deepen our understanding of the psychological processes underlying the link between rejection sensitivity and social anxiety, which in turn provides a new perspective for college administrators, psychology teachers, college counselors, and parents to help promote undergraduates' academic achievement and mental health.