Satisfied with Life? The Protective Function of Life Satisfaction in the Relationship between Perceived Stress and Negative Mental Health Outcomes

Abstract

Life satisfaction is a key index of well-being, yet few studies have examined its role as a protective factor in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The current study expands the research in this area through an examination of the role of life satisfaction in the relationship between perceived stress and negative indices of mental health. Participants were university students (N = 322) who completed the Perceived Stress Scale, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, and short forms of the trait scale of the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Center for Epidemiological Depression Scale, and the Beck Hopelessness Scale. The results indicate that life satisfaction had a health-sustaining effect on indices of well-being. It also moderated the relationship between perceived stress, on the one hand, and anxiety and hopelessness, on the other hand. Further, life satisfaction played a partial mediating role in the relationship between perceived stress and indices of mental health. The findings suggest that life satisfaction could be a protective factor in the context of stressful life events. Cultivating life satisfaction through mindfulness training and the enhancement of gratitude could potentially sustain mental health.

Leveraging adversity during pandemics: the role of adaptive cognitive appraisals of self and others in mental health outcomes among students

“…By the time of data collection, the country still grappled with vaccine rollout challenges, public apprehension, and the socio-economic repercussions of the pandemic. Restrictions varied throughout this period as the government sought to balance public health needs with socio-economic realities (Padmanabhanunni et al, 2023a). The majority of participants were women (77%), and the mean age was 26.01 (SD = 10.19).…”

Assessment of predictors of satisfaction with life in pre-service teacher education students

“…3 Estrada-Araoz EG, et al positivos los ingresos, la satisfacción laboral, el cumplimiento de las necesidades, la resiliencia y las relaciones sociales y el apoyo. (35) Contrariamente, se ha comprobado que el desempleo, el estrés, la ansiedad y la depresión actúan como elementos que disminuyen la satisfacción con la vida. (36) Investigaciones previas han enfatizado que una mayor satisfacción con la vida no solo anticipa el bienestar mental futuro de un individuo, sino que también se correlaciona positivamente con un rendimiento académico destacado y un bienestar general en estudiantes de educación superior, al mismo tiempo que reduce los riesgos psicológicos para su salud.…”

Peritraumatic Distress among Chinese Canadians during the Early Lockdown Stage of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Sociodemographic and Pandemic-Related Predictors

“…More recently, in a survey of 907 Polish participants, life satisfaction was negatively correlated with health-related worries about COVID-19 [46]. Some studies have shown that life satisfaction may have a mediating/moderating role in the relationship between depressive symptomatology and psychosocial well-being in the context of the pandemic [47,48]. Altogether, engaging in coping behaviours and higher life satisfaction appear to reduce or buffer against psychological distress, but there is a paucity in the literature regarding the role of these variables as moderators between sociodemographic/COVID-related variables and distress, particularly as far as they relate to Chinese Canadians.…”