Happiness and meaning in life: Unique, differential, and indirect associations with mental health

Abstract

Researchers broadly recognize happiness and meaning in life as key indicators of hedonic and eudaimonic well-being respectively. Although happiness and meaning in life are life pursuits among many people, they might differ in their associations with mental health. Taking both a preventative and promotive approach (Wong, 2013), this study examined the relations of happiness and meaning in life with mental health using a university student sample (N = 284). Happiness and meaning in life were both uniquely, negatively related to perceived stress as well as anxiety and depressive symptoms, although happiness was more strongly linked to these mental health outcomes. Additionally, happiness and meaning in life were both indirectly related to anxiety and depressive symptoms through their positive association with perceived stress. Based on our findings and previous literature, we propose the following distinction between happiness and meaning in life: the former leads to self-satisfying outcomes and the latter yields self-transcending outcomes. We propose that the overlap between the two constructs result in salutary outcomes, reflecting the emphasis of Positive Psychology 2.0 on the complexity of meaning in life and the intricate link between positive and negative psychological processes. Implications for counseling are discussed.