Community support as predictors of resilience among single women

Abstract

Background: Single women face many problems in the patriarchal society but receive support from the community. In general, studies on community support showed that belonging to a community and actively participating in communal activities enhanced the quality of life and wellbeing of the individual involved. The present study examines whether the dimensions of community support predict psychological distress, happiness, life satisfaction, and psychological resilience among single women. Method: A sample of 300 single women (divorced, widows, and separated women) in the age group of 25 to 60 years ( M = 39.82 years, SD = 7.83) were administered self-report measures of perceived community support, psychological distress, subjective happiness, life satisfaction, and psychological resilience. The dimensions of community support included in the study are community integration, community participation and community organization. Results: Multiple regressions were carried out to analyze the data. Community integration negatively predicted psychological resilience. Community participation positively predicted life satisfaction. Conclusion: These findings highlight the role of community support as resources that promote the positive adaptation of single women to the challenges of everyday life. The implications of the findings for policy, practice, and research are also discussed.