Singlehood offers freedom and autonomy, but also brings challenges of intimacy, security, and discrimination needing targeted psychological support.
Authors
Kriti Gupta, Assistant Professor, Jindal School of Psychology & Counselling, O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat, Haryana, India
Arti Singh, Associate Professor, Jindal School of Psychology & Counselling, O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat, Haryana, India
Tanya Choudhary, Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, India
Summary
Over the past decades, singlehood has become prevalent globally. In India, the same trend has been observed in recent years. Many singles are delaying marriage or choosing never to get married even though marriage is considered important in Indian society. This article explores how singlehood is experienced among Indian singles aged 30 years and older (N = 153) and their quality of life. Using a mixed-method approach, it was found that a difference exists in the quality of life of the participants based on their gender and living arrangements. Thematic analysis revealed that our participants opt to remain unmarried due to a range of personal and cultural factors. The advantages of staying single include a sense of freedom to explore one’s interests and reduced emotional and financial responsibilities. However, there are notable disadvantages of remaining single for our participants, such as a Lack of intimacy, Apprehension related to health and financial security, Safety issues, and Perceived discrimination in the workplace. We suggest that the findings of this study can be used as a foundation for designing psychological interventions that address the needs of single adults in traditional social contexts.
Published in: Journal of Social and Personal Relationships
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