Loneliness, Coping Strategies and Mental Wellbeing: A Comparative Study among Day Scholars and Hostel Scholars

Abstract

The aim of current study is to assess the relationship between loneliness, coping strategies and mental wellbeing among day scholars and hostel scholars. The study also focused to assess the differences among Age, Gender, Education and Departments on study variables. After detailed literature review, hypotheses were framed for the present study; there would be significant predictive relationship among study variables, there would be significant differences on loneliness, coping strategies and mental well-being among day and hostel scholars. Significant differences will also be present among Age groups, Genders, Education and Departments on the variables of loneliness, coping strategies and mental well-being. The total sample comprised of 318 (149 Day scholars and 169 Hostel Scholars) participants. Demographic information sheet, UCLA Loneliness scale (Russell & Peplau, 1978), Brief COPE scale (Carver, 1997) and Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS) (Edinburgh, 2008) were used in current study. Descriptive statistics, Pearson Product Moment Correlation, multiple regression analysis, Independent sample t-test, ANOVA analysis of covariance and Post hoc analysis were used to analyze and interpret research data. There was significant predictive relationship of emotional focused strategies on Loneliness and emotional focused strategies and dysfunctional strategies on mental wellbeing. There was significant difference between day scholars and hostel scholars among variables of loneliness. There was significant difference between adolescents and adults among variables of problem focused strategies and dysfunctional strategies. There were significant differences between Bachelors and Masters students on the variables of Problem focused strategies, Emotional focused strategies, Dysfunctional strategies, and Mental Wellbeing. There was significant difference between Educational Departments on variable of Problem focused strategies and mental wellbeing.