Life Satisfaction and Perceived Social Support among Typical Young Adults in Israel Depending on Marital Status

Introduction: Life satisfaction and perceived social support are considered important for the general population, and being in a committed relationship is known to impact these factors. However, only a few studies examined this connection among typical young adults in general, and in Israel in particular. Accordingly, this study aims to examine differences in life satisfaction and perceived social support among typical young adults in Israel, depending on their marital status. Methods: Sixty-six typical Israeli young adults aged 20-35 were recruited, selected by snowball sampling, and divided into two groups: subjects in a relationship and single individuals. Each group completed online a demographic questionnaire, two screening questionnaires and two questionnaires to evaluate the research variables: The Satisfaction with Life Scale and the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey questionnaires. The data were analyzed in SPSS-26 Network. Results: T-tests for independent samples showed no significant difference between the groups in the average scores of the life satisfaction questionnaire. In contrast, a significant difference was found in the average score in the perceived social support questionnaire, with subjects in a relationship scoring higher. Pearson's test revealed a medium-strong positive and significant correlation between the averages of the two questionnaires. A linear regression analysis showed that, unlike marital status, perceived social support significantly contributes to the explained variance in life satisfaction. Conclusions: It is not possible to determine the level of life satisfaction solely based on marital status. Moreover, being in a relationship during young adulthood may contribute to an individual's perception of the social support available to them. Additionally, it is assumed that individuals with higher levels of life satisfaction may report increased social support, and vice versa. Finally perceived social support is of importance in one's evaluation of his/her life satisfaction.