Satisfaction with life, affects, and subjective happiness in military personnel.

Abstract

Background: Satisfaction with life, affects, and subjective happiness in military personnel are significantly correlated, as the experience of positive emotions, such as pride and camaraderie, often improves both satisfaction with life and the perception of happiness. On the other hand, negative effects, such as stress and anxiety, derived from deployment in high-risk environments, can bring down these indicators of well-being. Adaptability and resilience play a crucial role in moderating these affects, allowing military personnel to keep a good degree of emotional balance.

Objective: The objective of this study was to measure satisfaction with life, subjective happiness, and affects on Spanish military personnel. The initial hypothesis was that these variables are correlated and that affects can be used to predict satisfaction with life and subjective happiness.

Methods: This study examined the mutual relationships between satisfaction with life, affects, and subjective happiness in a sample of 416 Spanish military personnel (336 men 80.67% and 80 women 19.23%), with an average age of 35.56 years, using the satisfaction with life, affects, and subjective happiness scales.

Results: The results indicate that all the variables analyzed are correlated and together constitute subjective well-being. Network analysis indicates that the axial factor in this relationship is subjective happiness. It was found that both positive and negative affects can be used to predict satisfaction with life and subjective happiness.

Conclusion: This paper emphasizes the need to conduct more studies with military personnel, who are usually exposed to high levels of professional stress, and that these consider a wider range of variables. Understanding these dynamics is essential to design measures that promote mental health and holistic well-being in this population group. This study is the first empirical approach to models that argue for the mutual interaction of these constructs in psychological well-being, also emphasizing the need to work with military personnel in this regard, not only during their training but throughout their military career.