Students who were in a relationship felt less alone emotionally and overall than those who weren’t, hinting that having a partner might help reduce feelings of isolation during the war.
Scientific Claim
Married or partnered Ukrainian female university students report significantly lower levels of emotional and general loneliness than their unmarried peers, suggesting social partnership may buffer against isolation during war.
Original Statement
“Mann–Whitney test shows married/partnered respondents report lower levels of emotional and general loneliness than those not coupled (U = 779,723.0, Z = -4.547, p < .001, r = .087 and U = 789,191.5, Z = -3.722, p < .001, r = .071, respectively).”
Evidence Quality Assessment
Claim Status
appropriately stated
Study Design Support
Design supports claim
Appropriate Language Strength
association
Can only show association/correlation
Assessment Explanation
The study reports group differences using non-parametric tests without implying causation. The language 'report lower levels' accurately reflects observed associations in cross-sectional data.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (0)
Contradicting (1)
Mental health and well-being among Ukrainian female university students: The impact of war over 3 years
The study looked at how lonely Ukrainian female students felt during the war, but it didn’t compare married or partnered students to single ones, so we can’t tell if being in a relationship helps reduce loneliness.