Dimensions of Psychological Well-being and Subjective Happiness in the New Normal: An Exploration

Abstract

The pandemic has brought in unprecedented changes in societies across the globe. It has altered the equilibrium and forced individuals to move out of their comfort zone, leading to disturbance in psychological well-being in the new normal (Kuster, 2021). This empirical study examines the effect of psychological well-being (PWB) on subjective happiness (SH) of students of higher educational institutions (HEIs) during the global pandemic. Total of 290 students of HEIs were administered with the PWB questionnaire and SH questionnaire. The relationship between the variables was examined using multiple regression. The results indicated that the SH levels of the sample were above average (M = 19.76). SH was found to be more in women. No gender difference was found in PWB levels. The findings also revealed that improving PWB will positively influence the SH (r = 0.581) of the students. PWB can explain 32% variation of SH. Self-acceptance (p = .01), autonomy (p = .01), positive relationships with others (p = .03), and personal growth (p = .002) increases the feeling of SH. The findings validate the set point theory that while recent life events influence SH, individuals tend to return to natural set point over a period in time. The findings add to the repertoire of research on PWB and SH in the context of Set point theory. Study findings can help in strategizing the student counselling process as well as curriculum design of HEIs to ensure greater SH of its stakeholders.

Psychological Well-Being Levels of Social Studies Teachers During the Pandemic Process

“…Karadeniz and Zabcı (2020) further add nuance by illustrating that elementary teachers experience significantly higher stress levels than high school teachers, whilst preschool educators manifest markedly elevated well-being levels. All these studies, along with some other existing studies (Warrier et al, 2021;Zakaria et al, 2021), corroborate our findings. However, a study conducted by Onuray Eğilmez (2022) found that teachers scored below average in terms of PWB.…”

“…This result aligns with studies that indicate no variation in teachers' PWB based on gender (Arslan & Tura, 2022;Yakut & Yakut, 2018). Also, many more studies confirming the conclusion that the gender variable does not affect the PWB of teachers Singh & Sharma, 2023;Onuray Eğilmez, 2022;Warrier, 2021). However, there are alternative studies asserting that the gender factor does influence teachers' PWB (Cenkseven & Akbaş, 2007;Doğan & Aslan, 2022).…”

“…Arslan and Tura (2022) have found a positive relationship between teachers' PWB and their life purposes. Warrier et al (2021) found that autonomy, self-acceptance, and positive relationships with people; Nika and Bashir (2023) determined that environmental mastery, autonomy, and self-acceptance sub-dimensions contributed more to PWB. Ünal and Dulay (2022) highlighted the disbalance in work-life equilibrium during the pandemic, underscoring the difficulty teachers face in maintaining this balance.…”

Self-Compassion as a Key Factor of Subjective Happiness and Psychological Well-Being among Greek Adults during COVID-19 Lockdowns

“…In addition, there is scientific evidence that subjective happiness may influence the quality of life during the pandemic [12]. The concept of subjective happiness (SH) is understood as a broader term for a person's well-being, which is an indicator of how happy or unhappy one feels, not only as a personal assessment, but also in comparison with others [13,14].…”

Self-Compassion and Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Study of Greek College Students

“…The levels of SH among students were influenced by their perceptions of the educational environment [ 28 ], and those with social networks reported greater SH [ 25 ]. Students during COVID-19 experienced greater SH [ 29 ]. The relationship between SC, LS and SH among university students during COVID-19 is limited.…”