Interview Guide
Research Topic: The Influence of Social Support on Psychological Wellbeing Among Young Adults
Introduction
We want you to be part of a study about how the people around you affect your health when you're a
young adult. This study is looking at how friends and family can help you feel better when you are an
adult.
We will ask you questions about what you think about the people who support you like your friends and
family and how they make you feel.
You do not have to be part of this adult health study if you do not want to. Everything you say will be
private and for this young adult health study.
You can say no to any question about your friends and family. You can stop talking to us at any time. It is
up, to you to decide what you want to do.
If you say it is okay we will record what you say about your friends and family so we can remember it
correctly for this adult health study.
Section A: Demographic Information
1. Please state your age.
2. What is your current educational level or employment status?
3. How would you describe your current living arrangement?
Section B: Social Support
Emotional Support
4. Who do you turn to when you are emotionally distressed or stressed?
5. How do these individuals provide comfort or reassurance to you?
6. Can you describe a situation where emotional support helped you cope with a challenge?
Instrumental Support
7. Have you received practical or financial assistance from someone during a difficult time? Please
explain.
8. How did this assistance influence your ability to manage the situation?
Informational Support
9. Who do you consult when making important life decisions?
10. How does the advice or guidance you receive influence your decisions?
Appraisal Support
11. Do you receive constructive feedback or encouragement from others?
12. How does such feedback affect your confidence and self-esteem?
Section C: Psychological Wellbeing
Self-Acceptance and Personal Growth
13. How would you describe your perception of yourself?
14. In what ways have you experienced personal growth in recent years?
Purpose in Life
15. Do you feel your life has meaning or direction? Please explain.
16. What factors contribute most to your sense of purpose?
Autonomy and Environmental Mastery
17. How confident are you in making independent decisions?
18. How do you manage daily responsibilities and life challenges?
Relationships and Wellbeing
19. How do your relationships affect your emotional and psychological wellbeing?
20. In your opinion, what role does social support play in maintaining your mental health?
Closing Question
21. Is there anything else you would like to share about how social support influences your psychological
wellbeing?
Questionnaire
Research Topic: The Influence of Social Support on Psychological Wellbeing Among Young Adults
Introduction
Dear Participant,
We want you to be part of this study about support and how it affects the wellbeing of young adults like
you. You do not have to be part of this study if you do not want to.
Everything you tell us will be kept secret.
When you are filling out this questionnaire we want you to think about support and psychological
wellbeing of young adults like you.
These things are very important to us.
So please be honest when you are answering the questions.
Do not write your name on this questionnaire
We are looking at support and psychological wellbeing of adults, like you.
We want to know about support and psychological wellbeing
Kindly tick (✓) the option that best represents your response.
Section A: Demographic Information
1. Age
☐ 18–22
☐ 23–27
☐ 28–31
☐ 32–35
2. Gender
☐ Male
☐ Female
☐ Prefer not to say
3. Marital Status
☐ Single
☐ Married
☐ In a relationship
☐ Other
4. Level of Education
☐ Certificate
☐ Diploma
☐ Undergraduate
☐ Postgraduate
5. Employment Status
☐ Employed
☐ Self-employed
☐ Unemployed
☐ Student
Section B: Social Support
Please indicate the extent to which you agree with the following statements using the scale below:
1 – Strongly Disagree
2 – Disagree
3 – Neutral
4 – Agree
5 – Strongly Agree
Emotional Support
6. I have someone who listens to me when I need to talk.
7. I feel loved and cared for by people around me.
8. I can share my feelings openly with someone I trust.
9. There is someone who comforts me when I am upset.
Instrumental Support
10. I have someone who helps me when I have practical problems.
11. I can rely on someone for financial or material assistance if needed.
12. There is someone who helps me with daily responsibilities when necessary.
Informational Support
13. I receive useful advice when I face challenges.
14. I have someone who guides me in making important decisions.
15. I can obtain helpful information from people close to me.
Appraisal Support
16. I receive constructive feedback about my strengths and weaknesses.
17. There is someone who encourages me to improve myself.
18. I have people who appreciate my efforts and achievements.
Section C: Psychological Wellbeing
Using the same 5-point scale, indicate your level of agreement with the following statements:
Self-Acceptance
19. I feel positive about myself.
20. I accept my strengths and weaknesses.
Personal Growth
21. I am continuously developing as a person.
22. I see myself improving over time.
Purpose in Life
23. I have clear goals and direction in life.
24. My life has meaning and purpose.
Autonomy
25. I make my own decisions confidently.
26. I am not easily influenced by others’ opinions.
Environmental Mastery
27. I am able to manage my daily responsibilities effectively.
28. I feel in control of my life circumstances.
Positive Relations
29. I maintain satisfying and trusting relationships with others.
30. I feel connected to the people around me.
Section D: Open-Ended Question
31. In your opinion, how does social support influence your psychological wellbeing?
REFERENCES
Chen, J. (2025). Social and family support systems improve psychological health outcomes for young
Chinese adults. BMC Psychology, 13(1), 839.
2. Saikkonen, S., Karukivi, M., Vahlberg, T., & Saarijärvi, S. (2018). Associations of social support and
alexithymia with psychological distress in Finnish young adults. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology,
59(6), 602–609.
3. Shin, H., & Park, C. (2022). Social support and psychological well-being in younger and older adults:
Mediating effects of basic psychological need satisfaction. Frontiers in Psychology.
4. The research study investigates how social support affects psychological well-being of young adults
according to Stephen H. (2023). International Journal for Research in Applied Science and Engineering
Technology.
5. The Role of Social Support Systems in Enhancing Mental Health Resilience Among Young Adults.
(2025). International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science.
6. Systematic review on social support and student well-being. (2024). The systematic review examines
how social support affects students' psychological health. PubMed.
7. Winefield, H. R., Winefield, A. H., & Tiggemann, M. (1992). Social support and psychological well-being
in young adults: The multidimensional support scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 58(1), 198–210.
Operational Definition of Key Terms
1. Social Support
In this study social support is the help that young adults get from family, friends and people they care
about. This help can be emotional like someone to talk to or it can be informational like getting advice. It
can also be instrumental like getting help with something or appraisal like getting feedback. We will
measure support using a questionnaire that many people have used before like the Multidimensional
Scale of Perceived Social Support. The the score the more social support the young adults think they
have.
2. Psychological Wellbeing
Psychological wellbeing is how good a person feels about their life. It is about being happy feeling
balanced having a sense of purpose and being able to function. In this study we will measure wellbeing
using a scale that has been tested and works well. The the score the better the persons psychological
wellbeing is.
3. Young Adults
Young adults are people who're, between 18 and 35 years old. They are either going to college or
university. They live in the area where we are doing the study. We are focusing on support and
psychological wellbeing of young adults.