Social support, happiness, and distress in Brazil during the pandemic (COVID-19)

The COVID-19 pandemic has had severe impacts on the mental health of Brazilians. While many studies have highlighted the risk factors contributing to more negative mental health outcomes (e.g., loneliness and isolation), there is less research on factors that may have promoted resilience during the pandemic in Brazil. Using a mediated structural equation model, this study examines the role of social support and happiness in predicting lower levels of psychological distress in Brazil during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results from a sample of 249 college students show that some forms of social support (e.g., receiving emotional support) predicted lower psychological distress while other forms of social support (e.g., giving instrumental support) predicted increased distress, and that this relationship was partially mediated by self-reported happiness. Moreover, this study further validated the use of the Steen Happiness Index to assess authentic happiness in Brazil. The implications of this research are discussed.