Personality Factors as Determinants of Psychological Well-Being among University Students

Sense of well-being is one of the most important goals which individuals strive for. It affects our perceptions of the external world such that we are able to view it with greater positivity and deal with day to day problems effectively. With an increasingly competitive existence, the pressures and challenges confronting the individual are extremely high, therefore it is difficult to maintain this sense of well-being at all stages of life. Adolescence and early adulthood are particularly demanding, because conflicts relating to quest for identity, concerns for academic success, career and uncertainty about the future all magnify the problems manifold. This is a phase in which several mental health disorders of adulthood appear and affect adjustment in society. Intellectual capacities increase and emotions intensify. The major tasks during this phase include establishing independence, realizing one’s identity and capabilities and preparing for adult self reliance. Psychological well-being has been defined as a dynamic state characterized by a reasonable amount of harmony between an individual’s abilities, needs and expectations, and environmental demands and opportunities (Levi, 1987). It is connotative as a harmonious satisfaction of one’s desires and goals (Chekola, 1975). Since personality is a core factor which determines our reactions and adjustments, psychological-well-being during such a stressed phase as adolescence should be studied within its perspective. It is important that researches which identify factors which contribute to psychological well-being should continue to be conducted in different contexts and with better methodologies. The present research aims to study the personality factors as determinants of psychological well-being amongst university students. Appropriate analysis will be conducted to explore the topic further.