Taylor, HenryRex, Diego Lamont Charltonio2024-07-192024-07-192023http://hdl.handle.net/11660/12694Dissertation (M.Soc.Sc.(Counselling Psychology))--University of the Free State, 2023University students face unique psychosocial and mental health challenges during their studies. Given the already stressful experiences endured, the COVID-19 pandemic was also perceived as an unprecedented mental and physical health challenge globally. This dissertation examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Psychological Well-being (PWB) of South African university students. More specifically, this study aimed to investigate which variable(s) statistically and significantly explained a percentage of the variance in Psychological Wellbeing (PWB) amongst university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sense of Coherence (SOC) and Perceived Social Support (PSS) were investigated as possible predictor variables of PWB during the pandemic. This study utilised a quantitative, non-experimental research approach with a correlational design. The statistical relationships between the variables were determined through correlational analyses. Data was collected from a sample of 312 registered university students, consisting of male and female students from various age groups, ethnicities, and faculties. Nonprobability convenience sampling was utilised to obtain the abovementioned sample. This study utilised a self-developed biographical questionnaire and three measuring instruments, namely the 𝘔𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘚𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘚𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘚𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 (MSPSS), the 𝘖𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘘𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘦 (SOC-29), and 𝘙𝘺𝘧𝘧’𝘴 𝘚𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘗𝘴𝘺𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘭-𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 (SPWB). Moreover, correlational analyses were computed to determine the statistical relationships between the variables, followed by a hierarchical multiple regression analysis (HRA). The HRA results demonstrated that the combination of all predictors (Comprehensibility, Meaningfulness; PSS from Family, Friends, and Significant Others) predicted 32.8% of the variance in Self-Acceptance (f² = .49). The combination of all predictors also predicted 23.8% of the variance in Personal Growth (f² = .31) and 38.9% of the variance in overall PWB (f² = .64). In addition, regression results also showed that the combination of SOC predictors (Comprehensibility and Meaningfulness), statistically and practically significantly accounted for 25% of the variance in Self-Acceptance (f² = .37). The SOC predictors (Comprehensibility and Meaningfulness) explained 20% of the variance in Personal (f² = .26). Additionally, this combination of SOC predictors predicted 26.2% of the variance of overall PWB (f² = .42). Meaningfulness was found to be the only statistically and practically significant individual predictor of university students’ Self-Acceptance, Personal Growth, and PWB, during the pandemic. Therefore, higher levels of Meaningfulness within overall SOC, could significantly predict higher levels of PWB amongst students. More research on SOC and PWB of university students is needed to validate these results.enCOVID-19pandemicmental healthSense of CoherencePerceived Social SupportPsychological Well-beinguniversity studentsSouth AfricaSalutogenesisPositive PsychologyUniversity of the Free StateDissertationUniversity of the Free State