How Future Orientation is Associated with Depressive Symptoms in Multiethnoracial Adults: Basic Psychological Needs as a Mediator

Abstract

We examined the role of basic psychological needs as a mediator of the association between future orientation and depressive symptoms in a sample of 202 (159 female and 43 male) multiethnoracial adults. Multiple mediation analysis with 10,000 bootstraps was conducted to test for mediation. The association between future orientation and depressive symptoms was found to be accounted for by dimensions of basic psychological needs. Specifically, future orientation was negatively related to depressive symptoms through positive associations involving autonomy and competence, but not relatedness. The present findings are the first to not only point to the importance of examining future orientation in understanding depressive symptoms in multiethnoracial adults, but they are also the first to suggest possible mechanisms by which believing in a changeable future might foster stronger satisfaction of basic psychological needs, especially autonomy and competence, that might help multiethnoracials garner greater protection when encountering stressful situations in their lives.

Keywords:

• Basic psychological needs
• depressive symptoms
• future orientation
• multiethnoracial adults

Acknowledgments

The first author thanks Chang Suk-Choon and Tae Myung-Sook for their encouragement and support throughout this project.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Edward C. Chang

Edward C. Chang, Ph.D., is Professor of Psychology, University of Michigan. His research interests include mental health, culture, positive psychology, stress and coping, sport psychology, and existentialism/phenomenology.

Olivia D. Chang

Olivia D. Chang, BA, is a psychology student, University of Michigan. Her research interests include positive psychology, multiculturalism, personality differences, eating disturbances, and culture.

Elizabeth A. Yu

Elizabeth A. Yu, MA, is a psychology graduate student, University of Michigan. Her research interests include positive psychology, meaning in life, mental health, clinical intervention, culture, and suicide risk.

Kaidi Wu

Kaidi Wu, MA, is a psychology graduate student, University of Michigan. Her research interests research include culture, globalization, individual differences, trauma, organizational behavior, and situated cognition.

Abigael G. Lucas

Abigael G. Lucas, MA, is a psychology graduate student, University of Michigan. Her research interests include self-identity, culture, positive psychology, mental health, health psychology, and clinical intervention.

P. Priscilla Lui

P. Priscilla Lui, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Psychology, Southern Methodist University. Her research interests include culture, personality, positive psychology, acculturation, assessment, and intergenerational conflict.

David Rollock

David Rollock, Ph.D., is Professor of Psychology, Purdue University. His research interests include acculturation, ethnocultural minorities, mental health, interethnic contact, religion and spirituality.

Xinjie Chen

Xinjie Chen, Ph.D., is a post-doctoral education student, Stanford University. Her research interests include developmental psychology, positive psychology, adolescence, individual differences, and culture.

Jameson K. Hirsch

Jameson K. Hirsch, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Psychology, East Tennessee State University. His research interests include positive psychology, suicide risk and resilience, coping, health psychology, diversity, and rural psychology.

Elizabeth L. Jeglic

Elizabeth L. Jeglic, Ph.D., is Professor of Psychology, John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Her research interests include positive psychology, stress and coping, diversity, criminal and sexual abuse, and culture.