Background
Psychological wellbeing (PWB) in its eudaimonic sense focuses on optimizing one’s overall potential; hope-theory mandates having the will and finding the way to achieve life goals, while the impact of stress is well-known.
Hypotheses/RQ
The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which hope has the potential to enhance PWB while contributing to minimizing stress and moderating this relationship.
Sample characteristics/size
A population based cross-sectional study was used (N=130). All participants were defined as emerging adults, with a mean age 22.5 years (SD=3.14) ranging from 18-29 years.
Design
Participants completed anonymous self-reported-questionnaires consisting of the: Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), Psychological Wellbeing (PWB) Six-factor Model 42-item version and Hope Scale. Simple regression analyses assessed the ability of a) hope to predict perceived stress; b) hope to predict overall PWB and its six subdimensions; c) perceived stress to predict PWB. A two-way ANOVA analysis conducted explored the interaction effect of hope between perceived stress and PWB.
Results
Hope explained 13% of the variance in perceived stress and validated the inverse relationship. Hope robustly predicted and explained 54% of the variance in the overall score of PWB. Moreover, hope predicted each of the PWB six sub-dimensions by explaining the following variations per sub-dimension: 42% self-acceptance, 40% environmental mastery, 36% purpose-of-life, 29% personal growth, 26% positive relations and 15% autonomy. Perceived stress predicted 15% of the PWB variance validating their inverse relationship, while hope did not moderate the relationship between perceived stress and PWB.
Scientific-Contribution
The findings of this study constitute a novelty, given that these constructs have not been previously explored in this combination. They contribute to identifying interventions pertaining to hope, wellbeing and stress aimed towards enhancing one's overall optimal functioning, while facilitating successful transition through emerging adulthood.
Keywords: hope, perceived stress, psychological wellbeing, emerging adults