Self-Transcendence Explains How Stress Reduces Mental Well-Being in Emerging Adults: A Conditional Approach of Coping Flexibility
Gökmen Arslan, Serap Özdemir Bişkin, Kıvanç Uzun
Emerging Adulthood September 30, 2024 DOI: 10.1177/21676968241286924 (opens in new tab) via Semantic Scholar
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractStress negatively predicts mental well-being among Turkish university students. Self-transcendence and coping flexibility act as mediators in this relationship, and coping flexibility moderates the effect of stress on both self-transcendence and mental well-being. When coping flexibility is high, the negative associations between stress and self-transcendence and between stress and mental well-being are stronger. The findings suggest that self-transcendence and coping flexibility play important roles in promoting mental well-being and countering stress in a university setting.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Cross-sectional study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 403 |
| Population | Turkish university students enrolled in a state university in Türkiye, ages 18 to 25 |
| Keywords | Psychology |
| Key finding | Stress significantly predicted mental well-being in a negative direction, and self-transcendence and coping flexibility mediated this relationship, with coping flexibility moderating the effect of stress on self-transcendence and mental well-being. |
Abstract
Stress and well-being are important life experiences, but we cannot improve well-being by avoiding stress. If we want to increase well-being, we can start by determining the relationship between stress and well-being and other factors that may be effective in this relationship. This cross-sectional study investigates the hypothetical mediating and moderating roles of self-transcendence and coping flexibility in the relationship between stress and mental well-being among Turkish university students. A total of 403 students enrolled in a state university in Türkiye participated in the study. The sample was 75% female (n = 302) and 25% male (n = 101), with ages ranging from 18 to 25 years (M = 21.21, SD = 2.70). Findings revealed that stress significantly predicted university students’ mental well-being in a negative direction. Furthermore, the study identifies self-transcendence and coping flexibility as hypothetical mediators in the relationship between stress and mental well-being. Finally, it was found that coping flexibility moderated the effect of stress on self-transcendence and mental well-being. Under conditions of high coping flexibility, there are stronger, negative associations between stress and self-transcendence and stress and mental well-being. Overall, this study contributes to the understanding of the important role of self-transcendence and coping flexibility in promoting mental well-being and combating stress in the university environment.