The Role of Values in the Psychological Well-Being of Residents Across Different Regions of Russia

This article is devoted to studying an important issue for any society – the identification of values that influence people’s psychological well-being. The authors focus on a cross-regional comparison, as previous studies have highlighted the role of regional context in shaping both the expression of values and the psychological well-being of regional populations. This suggests that there are both universal and region-specific patterns in the relationship between values and psychological well-being among residents of different regions of Russia. The study sample consisted of ethnic Russians from two Russian regions – Moscow region (N = 318) and Krasnodar Krai (N = 407). We analyzed the expression of ten values and indicators of psychological well-being (self-esteem and life satisfaction), controlling for respondents’ age, gender, education, and income. ANOVA and hierarchical regression were used for data analysis. The results indicate that Russians in Krasnodar Krai have significantly higher psychological well-being than those in Moscow region. This may be due to the region’s climatic characteristics and its well-developed recreational industry. Compared to residents of Moscow region, Russians in Krasnodar Krai place greater importance on the values of Stimulation, Hedonism, Achievement, and Benevolence, while those in Moscow region exhibit stronger values of Self-direction, Security, and Conformity. These differences are statistically significant. The values of Power, Tradition, and Universalism do not show significant regional differences. A universal pattern found in both regions is the positive relationship between Self-direction and self-esteem, as well as between Tradition and life satisfaction. However, certain value-psychological well-being relationships appear to be region-specific: in Moscow region, Benevolence and Conformity positively associate with psychological well-being, whereas in Krasnodar Krai, Universalism, Security, and Achievement show a positive relationship with well-being. In the context of the complex modern situation, where there is a perceived threat to the country, values associated with self-protection and anxiety avoidance – Tradition, Conformity, and Security – are found to predict psychological well-being among Russians across regions. The study’s findings highlight the importance of considering regional specificities when examining the value foundations of psychological well-being.