Optimism mediates the relationships between meaning in life and subjective and psychological well-being among late adolescents

BACKGROUND The concepts of meaning in life and well-being appear to have structural and functional connections, which become even more noticeable when examining their role in individuals' daily functioning. One of the prospective variables which can play a mediational role between meaning in life and subjective and psychological well-being may be optimism, which also holds an important motivational value for young people. The aim of this study was to examine the predictive value of meaning in life and optimism, and indirect effects between meaning in life and subjective and psychological well-being among Polish late adolescents within the self-concordant model. PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE A total of 205 participants (104 female and 101 male; mean age = 18.31 years) from Poland completed five scales measuring meaning in life, optimism, and well-being. They completed the following measures: the Personal Meaning Profile, the Life Orientation Test-Revised, the Satisfaction With Life Scale, the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, and the Psychological Well-Being Scale. RESULTS Results of SEM analysis demonstrated that meaning in life and optimism were positively related to both subjective and psychological well-being. Optimism served as a partial mediator in the relationships between meaning in life and subjective and psychological well-being. CONCLUSIONS The mediating effect of optimism was explained within the self-concordance model. Consistent with the model. meaning in life had an enhancing effect on late adolescents' experience of optimism on the basis of self-concordant goals, which in turn led to improving their subjective and psychological well-being.