Meaning matters: a person-centered investigation of meaning in life, future time perspective, and well-being in young adults

Abstract

Within the framework of positive psychology, this study aims to investigate whether meaning in life, optimism and future orientation have acted together as a psychological resource in coping with a non-normative challenge such as the Covid-19 pandemic. 389 respondents participated in this study. Future time perspective, presence/search for meaning in life, life orientation and dimensions of well-being (anxiety, depression, stress and aggressive behavior) were assessed. A person-centered approach through latent profile analysis (stepwise approach) was employed. In addition, multinomial logistic regression was used to investigate whether gender, age group, student/employment status and loss episodes during the pandemic predicted profile membership. Latent profile analysis identified three profiles: Aggressive coping (Profile 1, 30%, n = 117), Perspective coping (Profile 2, 29%, n = 114), and Flattened coping (Profile 3, 41%, n = 158). The results support the hypothesis that the presence of meaning in life, a positive life orientation and a positive view of the future act as coping strategies against stressful situations. Practical implications for supporting these resources in young people are discussed.