Interpersonal needs and psychological distress: The moderating role of social support

The current study aimed to explore the relationship between interpersonal needs, social support, and psychological distress in university students. The study also aimed to explore the moderating role of social support between interpersonal needs and psychological distress in university students. The data (N=300) was collected from university students using a purposive sampling technique and three questionnaires i-e (i) interpersonal needs questionnaire (ii) perceived social support questionnaire and (iii) depression anxiety stress scale-21 items. The results of the current study highlight that interpersonal needs have a negative relationship with social support whereas interpersonal needs have a positive relationship with psychological distress. The results also indicate that social support moderates the relationship between interpersonal needs and psychological distress in university students. Therefore, the finding suggests that social support is an important factor in maintaining psychological well-being, especially for individuals who have high levels of interpersonal needs. Therefore, researchers could focus on investigating the different types of social support that are most effective in buffering against psychological distress for people with high levels of interpersonal needs.