The Effect of Anhedonia on Suicidal Ideation: The Moderated Mediation Effect of Emotional Intelligence Through Loneliness

Objective This study investigated the mediating effect of loneliness on the relationship between anhedonia and suicidal ideation, and the moderated mediating effect of emotional intelligence on the relationship between loneliness and suicidal ideation. Methods Participants (390 adults; males=194, females=196) aged between 19–59 years completed self-report questionnaires. Frequency and descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, mediating effect analysis, moderating effect analysis, and moderated mediating effect analysis were conducted using SPSS Statistics version 23.0 and the PROCESS Macro for SPSS version 4.2. Results Loneliness partially mediated the relationship between anhedonia and suicidal ideation. Additionally, emotional intelligence and its four subfactors moderated the relationship between loneliness and suicidal ideation. Finally, emotional intelligence and its subfactors (self-emotional appraisal, others’ emotional appraisal, emotion utilization) moderated the mediating effect of anhedonia on suicidal ideation through loneliness, verifying the moderated mediating effect. Conclusion It clarified the path that anhedonia has on suicidal ideation and confirmed the role of emotional intelligence.