How Much Does Social Support Perceived by Individuals Affect the Anxiety Level During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

It was conducted to examine the effect of social support perceived by individuals on the anxiety level of individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic during the research period. The study is a descriptive type of research. Included in the study were individuals who were determined by simple random method, aged between 18-60 years, who were aged between 01.06.2021 and 01.07.2021, who had no barriers to accessing data collection tools and understanding and responding to data collection tools, who could read and write. The study data were collected using a web-based Questionnaire, which includes the sociodemographic characteristics of the individuals, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. The analysis of the data was performed with the SPSS program, with p≤0.05 considered statistically significant. In the study, the mean score of the participants on the Multidimensional Perceived Social Support Scale was 56.70±18.01, the mean score on the State Anxiety Scale was 43.70±14.78, and the Trait Anxiety Scale was 45.37±11.71. It was found that there was a weak negative correlation between the Multidimensional Perceived Social Support level and the State and Trait Anxiety of the participants, and a statistically significant decrease was found in the state and trait anxiety scores as the social support levels increased (p<0.001). In the study, it was determined that as the level of social support perceived by the individuals increased, the anxiety levels of the individuals decreased.