Distinct pathways to well-being: Exploring valued action and mood among stoics and non-stoics

To examine the relationship between valued action and mood, this study analyzed Ecological Momentary Assessment data from a transdiagnostic in- and out-patient sample (EMA; N = 134; 62 female, 72 male; 62 inpatient, 72 outpatient; M_age = 36.6 years, SD = 11.6). Individual time series models were constructed to capture each participant's unique relationship between valued action and mood. The models were then meta-analyzed, revealing substantial variability, with two subgroups; Stoics (n = 64) and Non-Stoics (n = 70). The Stoics subgroup showed null or negative links between valued action and mood, replicating past findings from a nonclinical sample. The Non-Stoic group engaged significantly more in valued actions characterized by enjoyment and relaxation. Subsequent multilevel VAR networks were created to examine differences between Stoics and Non-Stoics. Within-person analyses indicated that, unlike Non-Stoics, Stoics showed no significant association between valued action and mood in contemporaneous networks. Temporal networks revealed that, for Non-Stoics, mood positively influenced future engagement in valued action. These findings challenge assumptions of a universally positive relationship between valued action and mood, suggesting divergent paths to well-being based on individual differences in mood-action dynamics.