The Role of Meaning in Life in the Relationship between Stress, Pleasure, and Depression

Abstract

Background: Discovering personal value and living a meaningful life are essential tasks for humans. The pursuit of existential meaning, which is a key motivator for life, is related to various psychological health factors and helps overcome stressful events. In this study, we aimed to identify the moderating effects of meaning in life on the relationship between stress, pleasure, and depression.Methods: The moderating effects of meaning in life on the relationship between stress, pleasure, and depression were examined in a sample of 144 college students.Results: Meaning in life had a significant strengthening effect on the impact of stressful life events on experience of pleasure and a buffering effect on the impacts of stressful life events on depression.Conclusions: The findings demonstrated that discovering meaning in life could improve the experience of pleasure and mitigate depression due to stressful life events. Additionally, the results suggested a need for intervention to increase meaning in life for college students who experience stressful life events.