Relationship Between Well-Being and Social Interest in Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Character Strengths

Abstract

Well-being, in its most general definition, includes good mental health, a sense of meaning or purpose, effective stress management, and high life satisfaction. According to Alfred Adler, a proponent of Individual Psychology, social interest is a fundamental criterion for mental health. Character strengths are a set of positive traits revealed through emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. They represent strong character traits and are unique psychological processes that determine virtues. This study examines the mediating role of character strengths in the relationship between well-being and social interest in adolescents. A total of 452 high school students (282 female and 170 male, aged 13-19 years) completed self-report questionnaires assessing their social interest, well-being, and character strengths. The results revealed social interest is positively and significantly related to well-being. Character virtues such as courage, justice, temperance, and transcendence mediate the relationship between social interest and well-being, while the virtue of humanity does not.