Resilience, meaning in life, and perceived social support mediate the relationship between fear of happiness and psychological distress

Fear of happiness, a psychological construct reflecting the belief that happiness might lead to misfortune, represents a significant barrier to well-being. This study examines the mediating roles of resilience, meaning in life, and perceived social support in the relationship between fear of happiness and psychological distress. A cross-sectional survey with 981 Turkish adults (mean age 23.93 years, 69.4% female) completed the self-reported measures of fear of happiness, resilience, meaning in life, perceived social support, and psychological distress. Results indicated that fear of happiness negatively predicted resilience, meaning in life, and social support while positively predicting psychological distress. Resilience, meaning in life, and perceived social support negatively predicted psychological distress. Mediation analyses revealed significant indirect effects of fear of happiness on psychological distress through resilience, meaning in life, and perceived social support. The findings suggest the importance of resilience, meaning in life, and social support as psychosocial factors in mitigating the adverse effects of fear of happiness on psychological health. These findings not only inform the design of targeted interventions aimed at reducing psychological distress but also highlight the value of strengthening internal and interpersonal resources to promote mental health, particularly in culturally relevant contexts.