How Belief in a Just World Benefits Mental Health: The Effects of Optimism and Gratitude

Feng Jiang; Xiaodong Yue; Su Lu; Guangtao Yu; Fei Zhu

doi:10.1007/s11205-015-0877-x

How Belief in a Just World Benefits Mental Health: The Effects of Optimism and Gratitude

Feng Jiang, Xiaodong Yue, Su Lu^*, Guangtao Yu, Fei Zhu

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences

Research output: Journal Publications and Reviews › RGC 21 - Publication in refereed journal › peer-review

57 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Past research suggests that individuals’ belief in a just world (BJW) is closely connected with their mental health. To clarify the underlying mechanism, the current study proposes that BJW encourages optimism and gratitude which then mediates the relationship between BJW and mental health as indicated by subjective well-being (SWB) and depression. A sample of 1,200 undergraduates yields results indicating that (a) BJW influences optimism, gratitude, SWB, and depression after controlling for gender, age, income, and personality; (b) optimism and gratitude mediate BJW effects by increasing SWB and decreasing depression. The issues of BJW’s adaptive functions are discussed.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	411-423
Journal	Social Indicators Research
Volume	126
Issue number	1
Online published	25 Jan 2015
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-015-0877-x
Publication status	Published - Mar 2016

Bibliographical note

Full text of this publication does not contain sufficient affiliation information. With consent from the author(s) concerned, the Research Unit(s) information for this record is based on the existing academic department affiliation of the author(s).

Research Keywords

Belief in a just world
Depression
Gratitude
Optimism
Subjective well-being

Access Output

10.1007/s11205-015-0877-x

Other Access Options

Check CityUHK Library

Permanent Link

Right click to copy link

Cite this

@article{5d32843370d24ac5963f0de041285c79,

title = "How Belief in a Just World Benefits Mental Health: The Effects of Optimism and Gratitude",

abstract = "Past research suggests that individuals{\textquoteright} belief in a just world (BJW) is closely connected with their mental health. To clarify the underlying mechanism, the current study proposes that BJW encourages optimism and gratitude which then mediates the relationship between BJW and mental health as indicated by subjective well-being (SWB) and depression. A sample of 1,200 undergraduates yields results indicating that (a) BJW influences optimism, gratitude, SWB, and depression after controlling for gender, age, income, and personality; (b) optimism and gratitude mediate BJW effects by increasing SWB and decreasing depression. The issues of BJW{\textquoteright}s adaptive functions are discussed.",

keywords = "Belief in a just world, Depression, Gratitude, Optimism, Subjective well-being",

author = "Feng Jiang and Xiaodong Yue and Su Lu and Guangtao Yu and Fei Zhu",

note = "Full text of this publication does not contain sufficient affiliation information. With consent from the author(s) concerned, the Research Unit(s) information for this record is based on the existing academic department affiliation of the author(s).",

year = "2016",

month = mar,

doi = "10.1007/s11205-015-0877-x",

language = "English",

volume = "126",

pages = "411--423",

journal = "Social Indicators Research",

issn = "0303-8300",

publisher = "Springer Netherlands",

number = "1",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - How Belief in a Just World Benefits Mental Health

T2 - The Effects of Optimism and Gratitude

AU - Jiang, Feng

AU - Yue, Xiaodong

AU - Lu, Su

AU - Yu, Guangtao

AU - Zhu, Fei

N1 - Full text of this publication does not contain sufficient affiliation information. With consent from the author(s) concerned, the Research Unit(s) information for this record is based on the existing academic department affiliation of the author(s).

PY - 2016/3

Y1 - 2016/3

N2 - Past research suggests that individuals’ belief in a just world (BJW) is closely connected with their mental health. To clarify the underlying mechanism, the current study proposes that BJW encourages optimism and gratitude which then mediates the relationship between BJW and mental health as indicated by subjective well-being (SWB) and depression. A sample of 1,200 undergraduates yields results indicating that (a) BJW influences optimism, gratitude, SWB, and depression after controlling for gender, age, income, and personality; (b) optimism and gratitude mediate BJW effects by increasing SWB and decreasing depression. The issues of BJW’s adaptive functions are discussed.

AB - Past research suggests that individuals’ belief in a just world (BJW) is closely connected with their mental health. To clarify the underlying mechanism, the current study proposes that BJW encourages optimism and gratitude which then mediates the relationship between BJW and mental health as indicated by subjective well-being (SWB) and depression. A sample of 1,200 undergraduates yields results indicating that (a) BJW influences optimism, gratitude, SWB, and depression after controlling for gender, age, income, and personality; (b) optimism and gratitude mediate BJW effects by increasing SWB and decreasing depression. The issues of BJW’s adaptive functions are discussed.

KW - Belief in a just world

KW - Depression

KW - Gratitude

KW - Optimism

KW - Subjective well-being

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84957850646&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.scopus.com/record/pubmetrics.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84957850646&origin=recordpage

U2 - 10.1007/s11205-015-0877-x

DO - 10.1007/s11205-015-0877-x

M3 - RGC 21 - Publication in refereed journal

SN - 0303-8300

VL - 126

SP - 411

EP - 423

JO - Social Indicators Research

JF - Social Indicators Research

IS - 1

ER -

How Belief in a Just World Benefits Mental Health: The Effects of Optimism and Gratitude

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Research Keywords

Access Output

Other Access Options

Permanent Link

Other Files and Links

Fingerprint

Cite this