Perceived social support and psychological distress in a sample of Peruvian university students: A correlational study

Abstract

Introduction: Perceived social support plays a crucial role in students' university experience, influencing their emotional well-being, academic adaptation, and success in university.Objective: To determine whether perceived social support is associated with psychological distress in a sample of Peruvian university students.Methods: Quantitative, non-experimental, correlational, cross-sectional study. The sample consisted of 220 students of both sexes who were administered the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support and the Psychological Distress Scale, both instruments with adequate psychometric properties. Data were processed using SPSS version 25, and the Spearman's rho correlation coefficient was used to identify the potential relationship between study variables.Results: It was found that 30% of students perceived a high level of social support. Additionally, it was identified that the psychological distress level of 35% of students was regular. Furthermore, it was determined that psychological distress was inversely and significantly correlated with the perceived social support variable (rho= -0.526; p<0.05) and the family (rho= -0.575; p <0.05), friends (rho= -0.501; p <0.05), and others (rho= -0.518; p<0.05) dimensions.Conclusions: Perceived social support is inversely and significantly related to psychological distress in a sample of Peruvian university students. Therefore, it is recommended to strengthen social support networks and promote an inclusive environment that encourages open communication and access to mental health resources