The mediating role of career concerns between career goal inconsistency, alienation and loneliness

Uncertainty and inconsistency in career goals can weaken students’ psychosocial adjustment. While the existing literature reports a link between this situation and loneliness and alienation from university, evidence on how these connections develop, particularly among sports science students, is limited. This study examined the mediating role of career concerns in the relationship between career goal inconsistency, loneliness, and university alienation. The study included 631 students from the sports science faculty in Türkiye. Validated self-report scales were used to measure the variables. The mediation analysis was carried out through the JASP 0.16.4 statistical program using structural equation modelling and bootstrap procedures. The tested model was confirmed. Career goal inconsistency positively associated with career concerns (β = 0.46, p < 0.001), loneliness (β = 0.21, p < 0.001), and alienation from university (β = 0.26, p < 0.001). Career concerns also associated with loneliness (β = 0.17, p < 0.001) and alienation (β = 0.15, p < 0.001). Indirect associations were significant for the paths from career goal inconsistency to loneliness (β = 0.08, p < 0.001) and to alienation (β = 0.07, p = 0.001) through career concerns. The explained variances were R2 = 0.36 for career concerns, R2 = 0.16 for loneliness, and R2 = 0.20 for alienation. These findings suggest that inconsistencies in career goals are associated with increased students’ career anxiety, loneliness, and alienation from university, both directly and indirectly. Therefore, it is important to provide career counselling and guidance services that reduce students’ anxiety and strengthen their sense of belonging to the university, especially in fields such as sports sciences, where career paths are often uncertain.