A QUALITATIVE STUDY ON PERCEIVED AVAILABLE PEER SUPPORT AND ITS IMPACT ON PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING AMONG UNIVERSITY QUARANTINED STUDENTS DURING COVID 19 PANDEMIC IN MALAYSIA

Abstract

Since early 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic has taken its toll on individuals’ psychological well-being and mental health as social isolation being a major factor for most of it. This study aims to explore the perceived available peer support experienced among the university-quarantined students during Covid-19 pandemic in Malaysia and to explore the impact of perceived available peer support on psychological well-being among university-quarantined students during the Covid-19 pandemic in Malaysia via a qualitative approach. This research was undertaken in a higher education institute, International Islamic University Malaysia in Gombak. A qualitative research design was employed in this research where semi-structured interviews are carried out with a total of 12 undergraduate university students from the age of 19 to 25 years old. The participants were selected using a combination of snowball and purposive sampling methods based on two characteristics which are (1) Have been infected with Covid-19; and (2) Have been quarantined in the designated place allocated by the university. Results showed that there are various types of available peer support proved to enhance the psychological well-being of university-quarantined students. There are nine themes have been yielded from the thematic analysis conducted which are Quality time, Acts of service, Physical support, Emotional support via online medium, Personal growth, Positive relations with other people, Self-acceptance, Purpose in life, and Autonomy. The outcome of this research will be able to guide and provide information and strategies for higher education institutes to overcome problems emerged and support the university students’ well-being during quarantine.

Keyword: Perceived available peer support, Psychological well-being, university-quarantined students, Covid-19.