When meaning intervenes: tracing the path from self-hate to desperation over time

Self-hate is one of the internal processes that can lead to desperation in people. On the other hand, viewing life as meaningful might be seen as a protective mechanism for overcoming the unfavorable relationships people form with themselves. The current study’s objective is to investigate, from a longitudinal standpoint, the mediating function of meaningful living in the relationship between desperation and self-hate. Therefore, this study, which has the advantage of circumventing the drawbacks of cross-sectional studies, involved 344 university students and used data gathered at two different times (Mage = 21.33; sd = 1.83). In a half-longitudinal design, the autoregressive analysis of the cross-lagged panel model was used to investigate time-based correlations between ideas. The results showed that meaningful living considerably and negatively predicted desperation levels, while self-hate negatively predicted meaningful living levels with time. Furthermore, the observed pattern of associations was consistent with the proposed mediating role of meaningful living in the longitudinal relationship between self-hate and desperation. As a result, those with higher levels of self-hate may be more likely to experience reductions in meaningful living over time, which may subsequently be associated with higher levels of desperation. Given its significance in this process, meaningful living may be a focus of protective and interventional mental health interventions, especially those that address desperation or self-hate.