Relationship between Mental-and-Physical Well-Being and Loneliness amongst Orphans, India

Abstract

Loneliness is a prevalent feeling among youth, and it is often associated with physical and mental well-being. This present study examines whether physical and mental well-being can predict loneliness among orphan children, specifically adolescents, in Delhi, India. The data for this study has been collected from an NGO based in Delhi with participants across the ages of 13-18. A multiple linear regression was used to examine the predictors individually and together. Results provided evidence to support the claim that mental well-being is a predicator of loneliness; however, the same did not apply for physical-well-being. Thus, targeted efforts need to be undertaken to focus on the overall well-being of orphans, especially mental well-being, focusing on building meaningful relationships, to tackle the invisible burden of loneliness that the country's youth carry.