The role of family and peer support in the relationship between fear of being single and mental health

• Main Author: Covar, Anthony Joseph B.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2016
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/5167
• Institution: De La Salle University

Majority of past research on single individuals have two important limitations: they do not take into account singles differences in their experience of singlehood in relation to their mental health, and they study singles in contrast to romantically partnered individuals. These issues risk the perpetuation of negative perceptions and stereotypes of single individuals not just in society but also scientific research. The present study addressed these by studying single individuals mental health in terms of depression and well-being in relation to their fear of being single and perceived support from friends and from family. In a sample of 216 male and female adults aged 20 to 40 years old, this study specifically tested the hypotheses that fear of being single has predictive links with depression and well-being, and that perceived social support from friends and from family moderate these links using moderation analyses. Results show that fear of being single predicts both depression and well-being, but perceived friend and family support do not moderate their links. Implications of these results for the study of singles are discussed.