Unmet need for belonging and loneliness in determining life satisfaction of mainland Chinese new immigrants in Hong Kong

Abstract

This study collected questionnaire data from 175 new immigrants (one-way permit holders) from Mainland China to investigate the relationship between need for belonging, loneliness, and life satisfaction while living in Hong Kong. We aimed to test two mediation models: (1) mediating role of loneliness in the relationship between unmet need for belonging and life satisfaction, and (2) mediating role of sense of belonging in the relationship between loneliness and life satisfaction. Analyses revealed that loneliness was negatively correlated with life satisfaction and sense of belonging. Unmet need for belonging was positively correlated with loneliness. Sense of belonging had no significant correlation with life satisfaction. Regarding the first tested model, loneliness could significantly mediate the relationship between unmet need for belonging and life satisfaction. However, results for the second model did not support the hypothesis that sense of belonging can mediate the relationship between loneliness and life satisfaction.