Association Between The Search For Meaning In Life And Well-Being In Chinese Adolescents

Li Lin, Song Wang and Jingguang Li ()
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Li Lin: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Song Wang: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Jingguang Li: Dali University

Applied Research in Quality of Life, 2021, vol. 16, issue 6, No 2, 2309 pages

Abstract: Abstract Theories suggest that having a meaningful life has beneficial effects on adolescent well-being. Encouraging adolescents to search for meaning in their lives is therefore well advised. However, whether and how the search for meaning in life (SMIL) is related to adolescent well-being is unclear. Thus, this study tested the following two hypotheses, based on a sample of 1539 Chinese adolescents in the tenth grade (Mage = 15.8 years): 1) the SMIL promotes adolescent well-being (“SMIL-as-promotor”), and 2) social connectedness mediates the link between the SMIL and adolescent well-being (“connectedness-as-mediator”). Multiple regression analyses revealed that SMIL was positively associated with life satisfaction, self-esteem and positive affect, and negatively associated with negative affect in the adolescents who exhibited low levels of presence of meaning; thus supporting the SMIL-as-promotor hypothesis. Mediation analyses revealed that SMIL was related to social connectedness (i.e., parent-child communication and peer relationship), which, in turn, was linked to the presence of meaning and hedonic well-being (i.e., life satisfaction, self-esteem, positive affect, and negative affect). These findings support the connectedness-as-mediator hypothesis. The implications of these findings for youth prevention programs and intervention services are discussed.

Keywords: Search for meaning in life; Presence of meaning in life; Social connectedness; Adolescent well-being; Chinese adolescents (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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DOI: 10.1007/s11482-021-09913-x

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