The Double Mediating Effect of Perceived Stress and Depression in the Relationship between Hardiness and Subjective Well-being

This study investigated the relationships between hardiness, perceived stress, depression, and subjective well-being in Korean adults.It examined the sequential double mediating effect of perceived stress and depression on the relationship between hardiness and subjective well-being.Participants included 371 Korean adults (both male and female) aged 20 to 39 years, with an average age of 29.58 5.48 years.The study employed various psychological measures: The Brief Measure of Hardiness, Perceived Stress Scale, SU Mental Health Test, Satisfaction with Life Scale, and Emotion Frequency Test.PROCESS Macro 4.2 Model 6 analyzed a sequential double mediating effect.Results revealed that hardiness was negatively associated with perceived stress and depression while positively related to subjective well-being.Additionally, perceived stress was positively correlated with depression, and both perceived stress and depression showed negative correlations with subjective well-being.In a double mediating model, the sequential mediating effect of perceived stress and depression on hardiness and subjective well-being in Korean adults was significant.In this model, the direct path from hardiness to subjective well-being was significant, as were the mediation paths through perceived stress alone and depression alone.These findings suggest that individuals' hardiness may reduce perceived stress and depression, improving their subjective well-being.