Social Support as Predictors of Resilience among Single Women

Page: 349-359
Kumar Deepak and Narayanan Annalakshmi (Department of Psychology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu)

Single women face many challenges in the patriarchal society, making the role of social support very critical for their positive adaptation. Social support is a protective factor promoting the well-being of an individual and is received through various levels, types, and from various sources. The present study examines whether the levels, types, and sources of social support predict psychological distress, happiness, life satisfaction, and psychological resilience among single women. A sample of 300 single women (divorced, widows, & separated women) in the age group of 25 to 60 years (M = 39. 82 years, SD = 7. 83) were administered self-report measures of levels of social support, types of social support, sources of social support, psychological distress, subjective happiness, life satisfaction, and psychological resilience. Correlation and multiple regression analyses were carried out to analyze the data. The levels of social support were positively correlated with subjective happiness and life satisfaction, but negatively correlated with psychological resilience. Types of social support did not significantly predict any of the outcome variables. Family support negatively predicted psychological distress, and positively predicted subjective happiness and life satisfaction. Friends support negatively predicted psychological distress and positively predicted subjective happiness and life satisfaction. Significant others’ support positively predicted psychological resilience. These findings highlight the roles of various levels of social support, types of social support, and sources of social support as resources that promote the positive adaptation of single women to the challenges of everyday life. The implications of the findings for policy, practice, and research are also discussed.