We Are Not Islands: The Role of Social Support in the Relationship between Perceived Stress during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Psychological Distress

Abstract

COVID-19 containment measures, including social distancing, quarantine, and confinement, significantly impacted social connectedness and contributed to heightened levels of perceived stress. Prior research has established that protective factors can mitigate emotional distress. This study investigated the protective role of social support in the relationship between perceived stress and psychological distress among a sample of university students. Participants (n = 322) completed the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Perceived Stress Scale, short forms of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, the trait scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Beck Hopelessness Scale. The results indicated that high levels of perceived stress were associated with high levels of hopelessness, depression, and anxiety. In terms of direct and mediating effects, social support was significant for depression and hopelessness but not for anxiety. Furthermore, the relationship between perceived stress and depression was higher for those with high levels of social support than for those with lower levels of social support. The findings suggest that in addition to enhancing social support resources, interventions must assist students in managing the uncertainty and anxiety associated with the pandemic. Furthermore, students’ appraisals of support and the extent to which support is experienced as beneficial must also be examined prior to the implementation of interventions.

Leveraging adversity during pandemics: the role of adaptive cognitive appraisals of self and others in mental health outcomes among students

“…By the time of data collection, the country still grappled with vaccine rollout challenges, public apprehension, and the socio-economic repercussions of the pandemic. Restrictions varied throughout this period as the government sought to balance public health needs with socio-economic realities (Padmanabhanunni et al, 2023a). The majority of participants were women (77%), and the mean age was 26.01 ( SD = 10.19).…”

“…Perceived support has been more strongly associated with mental health outcomes than actual received support (Harandi et al, 2017; Wang et al, 2018). Perceived social support can come from family and friends, romantic partners, co-workers, and more formal sources such as mental health care providers (Padmanabhanunni et al, 2023b).…”

Relationship between Psychosocial Factors and Physical Activity among Undergraduate Students from a South African University

“…The study attributed these mental health concerns to factors such as study program, year of study, workload, sleep quality, gender, and motivation [64]. Previous research at an African university established that social support has a positive influence on mental health [65] and PA motivation of undergraduate university students [46,47]. This suggests that the presence of social support from friends and family acts as a beneficial social network and reduces feelings of depression and anxiety [65].…”

Psychological Predictors of COVID-19-Related Anxiety in Vulnerable Groups

“…Overall, in the pandemic context, the high levels of perceived stress were associated with high levels of hopelessness, depression, anxiety [ 51 , 52 ] and post-traumatic stress disorder [ 53 ], and all these symptoms along with fear and sleep problems were seen more frequently during the COVID-19 pandemic [ 54 ]. Previous research has shown the prevalence of anxiety in a lot of countries—in Germany: 50% [ 55 ], in Turkey: 45.1% [ 56 ], in China: 31.6% [ 57 ] and in Italy: 23.2% [ 58 ].…”