English Translation and Validation of the Ikigai-9 in a UK Sample

Abstract

In Japanese culture, the psychological construct of 'ikigai' reflects the sense of having a 'reason for living' and has been associated with positive health-related outcomes such as increased mortality. This study presents an English translation of the Ikigai-9, and for the first time, empirically explores the manifestation of ikigai in a Western population as well as its associations with facets of well-being. Three hundred and forty-nine participants from the United Kingdom self-reported levels of ikigai as well as state measures of mental well-being, depression, anxiety, and stress. Confirmatory factor analysis did not support the original three-factor model, favouring instead a single-factor solution. Results indicated that when controlling for effects of sex and age, ikigai predicted greater scores of mental well-being and lower scores of depression, but not anxiety or stress. The Ikigai-9 has high internal reliability and presents a logistically-convenient measure of ikigai for English-speaking populations. However, further validation (e.g., test-retest reliability) as well as a better understanding of the potential protective role of ikigai in mental health is required. Data, transparency files, and supplementary materials are available here: [shorturl.at/kIP27], and a pre-print is available here: [to be inserted].

Cross-cultural comparison of mental health between Japanese and Dutch workers: relationships with mental health shame, self-compassion, work engagement and motivation

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Association between healthy lifestyle practices and life purpose among a highly health-literate cohort: a cross-sectional study

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