Thai Buddhism and well-being: an application of stress process theory

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore how Buddhism is associated with well-being among Thai Buddhists via an application of stress process theory. Survey data were collected in 2012 from 314 Thai citizens and analysed with structural equation modelling to assess how the association between socio-economic status (SES) and well-being is mediated by stressors and resources, in particular, religious resources. The results reveal that low SES is associated with greater financial hardship and household crowding and lower sense of control, which in turn are associated with worse well-being. Furthermore, income is associated with happiness via belief in Dharma control, whereas education is associated with unhappiness via its negative association with public religiosity. Lastly, the positive influence of religious beliefs on well-being is contingent upon having a relatively high sense of control, whereas the positive influence of religious behaviours is contingent upon having a relatively low sense of control.

Keywords:

• Buddhism
• well-being
• stressors
• resources
• sense of control
• sense of divine control

Acknowledgements

I thank Ms. Korawan Sangakakorn and the professional staff of the Social Research Institute at Chiang Mai University in Chiang Mai, Thailand, for their assistance in translation and data collection. I also acknowledge the following graduate students at the University of Nevada, Reno, who, in the spring of 2012, contributed to the creation of the questionnaire: Julie Chomos, Bret Davis, Zeb Gibb, Kimberly Greenman, Michael Kwiatkowski, Brian Lee, Sam Lindsay, Pete Martini, Carina Rivera, Michael Williams, and Steve Wood.

Funding

This research was supported by a generous grant from the International Activities Grant Program at the University of Nevada, Reno.