Resilience, meaning in life, and perceived social support mediate the relationship between fear of happiness and psychological distress

Oct 1, 2025Scientific reports

How resilience, life meaning, and social support link fear of happiness to psychological distress

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Abstract

A survey of 981 Turkish adults found that negatively impacted , , and social support, while increasing psychological distress.

Fear of happiness is linked to lower levels of resilience and meaning in life.
Higher fear of happiness is associated with increased psychological distress.
Resilience, meaning in life, and are negatively correlated with psychological distress.
Mediation analyses indicate that resilience, meaning in life, and social support may serve as protective factors against the negative effects of fear of happiness on psychological health.

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, a psychological construct reflecting the belief that happiness might lead to misfortune, represents a significant barrier to well-being. This study examines the mediating roles of , , and in the relationship between fear of happiness and psychological distress. A cross-sectional survey with 981 Turkish adults (mean age 23.93 years, 69.4% female) completed the self-reported measures of fear of happiness, resilience, meaning in life, perceived social support, and psychological distress. Results indicated that fear of happiness negatively predicted resilience, meaning in life, and social support while positively predicting psychological distress. Resilience, meaning in life, and perceived social support negatively predicted psychological distress. Mediation analyses revealed significant indirect effects of fear of happiness on psychological distress through resilience, meaning in life, and perceived social support. The findings suggest the importance of resilience, meaning in life, and social support as psychosocial factors in mitigating the adverse effects of fear of happiness on psychological health. These findings not only inform the design of targeted interventions aimed at reducing psychological distress but also highlight the value of strengthening internal and interpersonal resources to promote mental health, particularly in culturally relevant contexts.

Key numbers

981

Participants

Total number of Turkish young adults surveyed.

31%

Proportion of variance in psychological distress accounted for by the model.

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Abstract

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