Positive psychological traits and psychological well-being: investigating roles of positive coping strategies and life stressors

The impact of positive psychological traits (mindfulness, gratitude, optimism, and hope) on psychological well-being has been studied well. However, the contributions of positive coping strategies and life stressors in these associations still need to be examined. This study investigated the mediating roles of positive coping strategies and life stressors among the associations of mindfulness, gratitude, optimism, and hope on psychological well-being. 1766 Chinese college students of Shandong Xiehe University were recruited to complete the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), the Gratitude Questionnaire (GQ-6), the Optimism Scale (OS), the Adult Hope Scale (AHS), the Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WCQ), the Student-Life Stress Inventory (SLSI), and the Global Well-being Scale (GWB). The study revealed that positive coping strategies and life stressors partially mediated the associations of mindfulness, gratitude, optimism, and hope on psychological well-being. The results support the critical roles that positive coping strategies and life stressors play in positive psychological traits' impacts. This study may contribute to understanding the possible mechanism behind the link between positive psychological traits (mindfulness, gratitude, optimism, and hope) and psychological well-being through their interplay with positive coping strategies and life stressors.