Revisiting the orientations to happiness model: are pleasure, engagement, and meaning protective factors against psychological distress?

Abstract

While orientations to happiness (OTH) have been extensively studied in relation to well-being, their role in psychological distress remains less understood. This study examined whether the three orientations—pleasure, engagement, and meaning—predict depression, anxiety, and stress. Data were collected from 476 Romanian adults (M = 32.85, SD = 11.87) and analyzed using structural equation modeling to assess the predictive role of each orientation in psychological distress, operationalized as depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms. Pleasure orientation significantly predicted higher levels of depressive symptoms (β = .12, p = .039), anxiety (β = .17, p = .002), and stress (β = .15, p = .002). In contrast, meaning orientation negatively predicted depressive symptoms (β = −.17, p = .002) and stress (β = −.11, p = .039), supporting its protective role. Engagement orientation did not significantly predict any dimension of psychological distress. This study extends the OTH model beyond its traditional focus on well-being to examine its relationship with psychological distress, demonstrating that happiness orientations have both benefits and potential drawbacks. By highlighting the protective role of meaning and the risks associated with pleasure orientation, these findings emphasize the need for a more nuanced understanding of happiness orientations. Future research should explore the mechanisms underlying these associations and investigate their longitudinal effects.