Purpose in life and depressive symptoms: An individual-participant meta-analysis of >500,000 participants across six world regions.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Purpose in life is an aspect of eudaimonic well-being associated with better mental health. This research evaluated the generalizability and robustness of the association between purpose in life and concurrent depressive symptoms.

Methods

An individual-participant meta-analysis of 72 samples of 531,038 participants. Each sample used the same analytic approach: Linear regression tested whether purpose was associated with depressive symptoms controlling for sociodemographic factors (age, sex, race, ethnicity, education). Results across samples were summarized with a random-effects meta-analysis. Moderation by sociodemographic factors was tested in each sample and with meta-regression within the meta-analysis. Additional analyses tested whether purpose was associated

SUBMITTER: Sutin AR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12823043 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature