The relationship between activism and psychological well-being in individuals with traumatic experiences: An investigation within the framework of the existence of meaning in life and the search for meaning in life

This study aims to examine whether the existence of meaning in life and the search for meaning in life, two subdimensions of meaning in life, mediate the relationship between activism and psychological well-being in individuals with traumatic experiences. The sample of the study consists of 580 participants between the ages of 18 and 60 with traumatic experiences. Data was collected from participants through the use of the Sociodemographic Information Form, Posttraumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale, Activist Identity and Commitment to Activism Scale, Psychological Well-Being Scale, and Meaning of Life Scale. To examine the relationships between the main variables of the study, Pearson Product Moment Correlation analysis was conducted. To investigate the mediating effects of the presence of meaning in life and the search for meaning in life in the relationship between activism and psychological well-being, a mediating variable analysis was conducted using Hayes' simple mediating variable model analysis (Model 4) in the Process Macro plug-in. As a result of the correlation analysis, it was found that the presence of meaning in life had a significant positive relationship with activism and psychological well-being and a significant negative relationship with the search for meaning in life in individuals with traumatic experiences. Furthermore, a low-level negative correlation was found between the search for meaning in life and psychological well-being. Based on the mediation variable analysis results, it was found that the presence of meaning in life had a mediating effect on the relationship between activism and psychological well-being in individuals with traumatic experiences. Conversely, the search for meaning in life was not found to mediate this relationship. The findings of the study were discussed in the light of the relevant literature.