Perceived Social Support, Perceived Stress and Personal Growth Initiative among Young Adults Living Away from Home

Abstract

Young adulthood is a period during which individuals go through a period of transition and major changes. Most of the young adults in today’s world choose to move away to new cities, states or countries from their homes for colleges, universities or job. The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between Perceived Social Support, Perceived Stress and Personal Growth Initiative among young adults living away from home. A total of 240 participants (109 males and 131 females) participated in the study. Self-reported measures like the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Personal Growth Initiative Scale-II (PGIS-II) were used. For data analysis, Pearson correlation, Regression analysis and Independent sample t test were used. The results showed a significant positive relationship between Perceived Social Support and Personal Growth Initiative and a significant negative relationship between Perceived Social Support and Perceived Stress as well as between Perceived Stress and Personal Growth Initiative. Significant gender difference was found in Perceived Social Support and Perceived Stress, with females reporting higher scores than males. The regression analysis revealed a significant influence of Perceived Social Support and Perceived Stress on Personal Growth Initiative. This shows that adequate social support from friends, family and other as well as reduced stress and belief in their ability to effectively deal with stressful situations enables individuals to work towards their personal development.