Stressful Life Experiences and Mental Well-being in Widows: Moderating Role of Social Support

Abstract

The purpose of the current study was to explore the effect of stressful life experiences on mental well-being in widows by considering social support as a moderator. The study employed correlational research design. Data were collected from 350 widows with an age range of 21 to 65 years (M = 43.44, SD = 9.34) who had been widowed for at least one year by using the snowball sampling technique. The self-constructed demographic sheet, Stressful Life Experience Scale, Multidimensional Perceived Social Scale, and Mental Health Continuum - Short Form were used for the assessment. The results showed that stressful life experiences and social support have a positive relationship with mental well-being in widows. The finding also revealed that stressful life experiences and social support were significant predictors of mental well-being in widows. Furthermore, support from significant others and family moderated the relationship between stressful life experiences and mental well-being in widows. The present study makes a significant contribution to the field of counselling psychology by focusing particularly on the challenges faced by widows and highlighting the role of social support as a contributing factor to the well-being of widows.