TY - JOUR
KW - Meaning in life
KW - Depression
KW - Anxiety
KW - Young Adults
KW - Mental health
AU - Mehmet Şanli
AU - İlhan Çiçek
AU - Metin Kocatürk
AB - Mental health problems, including depression and anxiety, are increasing among young individuals and have become a public health concern. From this perspective, searching for meaning and purpose is an innate impulse contributing to a young adult s psychological well-being and plays a crucial role in mental health. This study examined whether meaning in life, gender and age moderate the relationship between anxiety and depression in a large sample of young adults. A total of 2338 participants, 1546 women and 792 men, with an average age of 24.41 were included in the study. The study examined the moderating effects of gender, age, and meaning in life on the relationship between anxiety and depression in participants. The data collected from the study was evaluated for the moderator effect and subjected to regression analysis. According to the results, meaning in life is negatively correlated with both anxiety and depression and moderates the relationship between them by reducing the strength of the association. In addition, gender has a moderating role in the relationship between anxiety and depression. However, age did not show a significant moderating effect. In summary, meaning in life has a protective role against psychological disorders in young adults, and high meaning in life protects individuals against other psychological disorders. Therefore, it is essential for mental health professionals — including psychologists, counselors, nurses, and others — to take an active role in supporting young adults in coping with depression and anxiety.
IS - 3
M3 - Journal Article
N2 - Mental health problems, including depression and anxiety, are increasing among young individuals and have become a public health concern. From this perspective, searching for meaning and purpose is an innate impulse contributing to a young adult s psychological well-being and plays a crucial role in mental health. This study examined whether meaning in life, gender and age moderate the relationship between anxiety and depression in a large sample of young adults. A total of 2338 participants, 1546 women and 792 men, with an average age of 24.41 were included in the study. The study examined the moderating effects of gender, age, and meaning in life on the relationship between anxiety and depression in participants. The data collected from the study was evaluated for the moderator effect and subjected to regression analysis. According to the results, meaning in life is negatively correlated with both anxiety and depression and moderates the relationship between them by reducing the strength of the association. In addition, gender has a moderating role in the relationship between anxiety and depression. However, age did not show a significant moderating effect. In summary, meaning in life has a protective role against psychological disorders in young adults, and high meaning in life protects individuals against other psychological disorders. Therefore, it is essential for mental health professionals — including psychologists, counselors, nurses, and others — to take an active role in supporting young adults in coping with depression and anxiety.
PB - Sociedad Española para el Estudio de la Ansiedad y el Estrés
PY - 2025
SN - 2174-0437/1134-7937
SP - 148
EP - 157
T2 - Ansiedad y Estrés
TI - Does Meaning in Life Buffer the Link Between Anxiety and Depression? Evidence From Young Adults
VL - 31
ER -