Relationship of Loneliness with Stress and Adjustment in Working and Homemaker Women.

Background: The rising female labour force participation in India brings social isolation and stress into focus. The unique social challenges of maintaining contacts while juggling multiple roles highlight the significance of this research for understanding the psychological impacts of social isolation and stress in women. The study further emphasis the necessity of providing specific intervention strategies that help alleviate stress and improve techniques of adjustment; if successful, this indeed mitigates loneliness in women. Purpose: The study analyses the association among loneliness, stress and the level of adjustment among working and homemaker women aged 25-45 years living in Delhi NCR, considering their possible interrelations and effects on women's psychological well-being. Methods: This was a cross-sectional design with 130 participants, involving the UCLA Loneliness Questionnaire, the Perceived Stress Scale and the Bell Adjustment Inventory as study measures. Results: The findings indicate a moderate positive correlation between adjustment difficulties and loneliness, along with a correlation between stress and loneliness. Regression analysis shows that stress and adjustment together account for 75.4% of the variance in loneliness, suggesting that higher stress and adjustment challenges significantly contribute to loneliness among women. Conclusion: This raises a critical concern aboutmitigating these aspects related to the mental health of women who navigate professional and domestic roles.