Meaning mediates the association between suffering and well-being

ABSTRACT

Three studies (N = 2,858) examined the relationship between suffering, meaning in life and well-being. In Study 1, participants wrote about an experience of suffering and completed self-report measures on meaning and well-being. Current experiences of suffering and intensity were related to lower meaning and well-being. In two experimental studies, participants were randomly assigned to write about current suffering, past suffering, or a neutral experience (Study 2), in which they could or could not assign meaning (Study 3) and completed similar self-reported measures. Current suffering was associated with lower meaning (global meaning in life, purpose, coherence, but not significance), well-being and mental health. All three studies found that meaning mediates the relationship between suffering and well-being.

KEYWORDS:

• Suffering
• meaning
• well-being
• mental health
• purpose

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This manuscript was made possible through the support of a grant from the John Templeton Foundation [Grant #44040].