Background
Hedonic and eudaimonic wellbeing are two of the most widely studied wellbeing1. Although researchers broadly recognize happiness as a key indicator of hedonic wellbeing1-3 and meaning in life (MIL) as one of the key characteristics of eudaimonic wellbeing4-5, the extent the two constructs are unique or different is unclear6. Additionally, how happiness and MIL might differ in their associations with mental health is not well documented. Therefore, this study examined the unique, differential, and indirect associations of happiness and MIL with mental health outcomes.
Hypotheses
The first hypothesis is that happiness and MIL would each exert a significant, unique, and negative association with perceived stress (PS) as well as anxiety and depressive symptoms (Sx). The second hypothesis is that happiness would have a significantly stronger relation with PS and Sx than MIL. The third hypothesis is that happiness and MIL would each be significantly and indirectly related to Sx through their positive association with PS.
Sample
284 students (Mage = 28.21, 82% female, 78% White) were recruited from psychology listservs across U.S. and completed an online survey.
Results
In a single cross-sectional correlational design, hierarchical linear regression showed that both happiness and MIL were independently associated with PS and Sx, after controlling for each other’s associations, supporting our first hypothesis. Further, hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that both happiness and MIL exerted significant differential associations for PS and Sx. The unique association of happiness with PS and Sx was larger than that of MIL, supporting our second hypothesis. Furthermore, we found happiness was associated with less PS, which was in turn related to lower Sx. This mediation effect was similar in MIL, supporting our third hypothesis.
Contribution
Based on our findings, we propose a conceptual framework to delineate the distinction between happiness and MIL, providing future research implications.