Finding meaning from the present and future: The mediating role of meaning in life between temporal focus and mental health

Abstract

Literature has shown that temporal focus (TF) is closely related to mental health, and both of them are associated with meaning in life (MIL). Nevertheless, few studies have investigated the functional role of MIL in the relationship between TF and mental health, especially in the context of COVID-19. The present study aims to explore the mediating role of MIL between different categories of TF (i.e., past, present, and future TF) and mental health. A two-wave longitudinal survey was conducted among 538 Chinese participants aged between 22 and 70 (M ± SD = 35.07 ± 8.82). TF was assessed at Time 1, while MIL, anxiety, and life satisfaction were measured at Time 2. The results of SEM showed that past TF negatively predicted MIL, while present and future TF positively predicted MIL. In addition, MIL mediated the relationship between TF and mental health indicators (anxiety and life satisfaction). Specifically, past TF demonstrated a negative indirect effect on life satisfaction by reducing MIL, while present and future TF had a positive indirect effect on life satisfaction by strengthening MIL. In contrast, past TF demonstrated a positive indirect effect on anxiety by reducing MIL, while present and future TF had a negative indirect effect on anxiety by strengthening MIL. Therefore, the present results supported the positive roles of present and future TF in promoting MIL and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. For the MIL intervention during the pandemic, the present findings suggested that compared to recalling the past, more attention should be paid to living in the present and hoping for the future.

Challenges of the normalization and resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic on public mentality

“…A study by Dizon et al (2023) demonstrates the importance of hope as a viable resource in promoting individual well-being in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Zhou et al (2022) showed that past temporal focus negatively predicted meaning in life, whereas present and future temporal focus positively predicted meaning in life. In addition, meaning in life mediated the relationship between temporal focus and mental health indicators.…”

“…Wei et al (2022) examined post-traumatic stress symptoms from the transactional theory of stress and coping (Lazarus & Folkman, 1987). The general conceptual model of time perspective (Zimbardo & Boyd, 1999) was used to explain the mediating role of life meaning between different categories of temporal focus and mental health (Zhou et al, 2022). Jin et al (2023), based primarily on the terror management theory (TMT; Greenberg et al, 1986), found that death anxiety is a significant positive predictor of overall mental health and meaningfulness of life.…”

Working-Together Normative Appeals to Promote Pro-Environmental Donations

“…Using the type of social norm as the independent variable (working-together norms = 1, no working-together normative-information social norms = 0), perceived behavioral control and intentions towards pro-environmental donations as mediating variables, proenvironmental donations as the dependent variable, and gender and age as covariates, 5000 samples were extracted using the bootstrapping method to for 95% confidence interval (95% CI) estimations. To reduce multicollinearity [47], in reference to previous studies [48,49], all data have been mean-centralized, and the following results are presented as standardized coefficients. The predictive effect of the type of social norms on perceived behavioral control was significant, β = 0.20, SE = 0.09, p = 0.022, 95% CI = [0.03, 0.38].…”

Future self‐continuity and depression among college students: The role of presence of meaning and perceived social support

“…Presence of meaning refers to a person's view of their life as meaningful, purposeful, and important (Steger et al, 2006). Previous research has shown that an increased connection to the future is beneficial for enhancing the level of presence of meaning, which promotes the psychological well-being of individuals (Zhou et al, 2022). Thus, future self-continuity may indirectly affect depression in college students through the presence of meaning.…”