Are There Culture-Specific Patterns of Psychological Well-Being? The Role of Survival Versus Self-Realisation Values

Abstract

Hedonic and eudaimonic well-being were studied depending on indicators of distress in countries with cultures differing in survival/self-realisation values. A total of 2216 respondents from Chile, China, Italy, Russia and the United States participated. The Psychological Well-Being Scale, the Satisfaction With Life Scale, and the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale were used. Findings provided evidence that in countries with high survival values, the levels of hedonic and eudaimonic well-being were lower. Hedonic well-being across countries was negatively associated with depression and survival values; in addition, it was also negatively associated with stress based on analysis in the total sample. In countries characterised by self-realisation (Italy and the United States), eudaimonic well-being was negatively associated with depression only. In countries characterised by survival, observed links differed: In China, eudaimonic well-being was negatively associated with depression and stress, and in Russia, eudaimonic well-being was negatively associated with depression, but positively with stress. In the total sample, eudaimonic well-being was negatively associated with depression and anxiety and positively associated with sex (higher in women). The moderation effect of values and distress on well-being varied across countries.