Perceived Social Support and Psychosocial Well-Being of Orphan Students at Selected Schools in Woldia Town, Ethiopia

Pages: 466-469
Benyam Lake Yimer (Department of psychology, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia)

This study examined relationship of perceived social support and psychosocial wellbeing of orphan students at selected schools in Woldia town. Participants of this study were 170 orphan students whose ages range between 11 and 18 year were selected by using proportional stratified sampling technique. Correlational research design was employed to answer the research questions. The data were collected by using self-reported questioners, and analyzed by usingPerson’s correlation coefficient, independent sample t-test andone sample test. Results indicated that sample orphan students have low of psychosocial wellbeing. Female children have higher emotional symptoms, hyperactivity symptoms and pro-social behaviors than male. Correlation analysis result showed that emotional symptoms and family support were negative and correlated significant, special persons and friends were negatively correlated with conduct problem and hyperactivity symptoms, peer problems and friends’was significantly correlated each other,and pro-social behaviour andspecial persons, families and friendswerepositively correlated. The results indicated that orphans gain a social support from different sources that affects their psychosocial wellbeing. Based on the findings, it recommended that schools and organization/institutions that provide care for orphans will need to have child guidance and counseling and should be protecting their psychosocial wellness by giving love, respect, hope, intimacy, normal socialization, injecting with pro-social words and secured attachment.