Convergent Influence of Living Arrangements on Happiness, Anxiety, And Stress Post-Pandemic

Abstract

The supremacy of kinship ties is deeply beholden in Eastern culture. The traditional Indian culture is representative of many kinds of family structures and dynamics based on living arrangements. Indian families typically symbolize a collectivistic approach characterizing mutual dependence and hierarchy. This research study is an attempt to compare and understand the differences in living arrangements in terms of happiness, anxiety, and stress in the post-pandemic era. The global impact of covid-19 pandemic is evident by the transition in the family structure and dynamics. In this research study, the differences in the living arrangements are understood between the two types of living arrangements, namely the traditional joint family and modern nuclear family setup. For this, a sample of 411 young and middle-aged people has been considered, and were administered questionnaires to evaluate their happiness, anxiety, and stress levels. The findings of this research study reveal that the joint family setup is significantly different from the nuclear family setup as the former is associated with increased happiness and lower levels of anxiety and stress as compared to the latter. Furthermore, differences in gender and marital status are also obtained. It can also be concluded that happiness, anxiety, and stress are significantly correlated.