Relationship between Perceived Social Support and Perceived Stress among Homemakers in Kerala

The present study examined the relationship between perceived social support and perceived stress among homemakers in Kerala. A quantitative, descriptive-correlational design was used. Data from 111 homemakers were collected using the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) and the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), alongside socio-demographic information. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise the study variables, and correlation analysis was conducted to examine the associations between perceived stress and total perceived social support and its three sources: family, friends, and significant other. The reported mean score for perceived social support was 4.22 (SD = 1.84), and the mean perceived stress score was 17.77 (SD = 5.00). Most participants (82.88%) were classified in the moderate-stress category, 15.32% in the low-stress category, and 1.80% in the high-stress category, according to the categories used in the dissertation. Total perceived social support showed a weak negative association with perceived stress (reported r = -.143, p = .134). The associations for significant-other support (reported r = -.156, p = .101), family support (reported r = -.133, p = .163), and friend support (reported r = -.104, p = .278) were also weak and not statistically significant. Thus, the analysis as reported did not establish a statistically significant relationship between perceived social support and perceived stress in this sample. The findings should be interpreted cautiously because the sample was limited to 111 participants and the statistical test reported in the dissertation requires verification against the normality results and original output.