Relationship between Perceived Social Support and Loneliness among Indian College Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Social distancing measures were implemented to restrict the transmission of coronavirus during the COVID-19 pandemic in India. All these restrictions and changes in the daily lives of college students have led them to experience a pervasive and unprecedented sense of loneliness. This has affected their normal socialization for a long time. The present study aimed to assess the levels of loneliness, and its relationship with perceived social support among Indian college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Purposive sampling and convenience sampling techniques were utilized to collect data from the participants. The sample consisted of eighty Indian college students of age 18 years and above. Seventy per cent of the college students were females and the rest of them were males. Two questionnaires were administered which included Multi-Dimensional Perceived Social Support Scale and Loneliness Scale.  T-tests, ANOVA and Pearson’s Correlation were utilized for data analysis. The results revealed that 30 per cent of Indian college students felt severely lonely, 50 per cent felt moderately lonely and 20 per cent did not feel lonely during the pandemic. A significant difference was found in the loneliness levels between Indian college students who were in a committed relationship and those who were not (t = 2.029, p1lt;.05). In addition, the college students who were in a committed relationship reported feeling less loneliness as compared to single college students. A significant negative correlation (r = -.690, p1lt;.01) was also found between perceived social support and loneliness. No significant differences in loneliness levels based on gender and study discipline were found. This study highlights the role of perceived social support, social connections, and social relations in lowering loneliness during times of adversity amidst feeling uncertainty and distress.