Triguna Personality Traits and Psychological Well-Being: A Study of Depression, Anxiety and Stress among Young Adults

The present study explored the relationship between Triguna Personality Traits and Psychological Well-Being along with Depression, Anxiety, and Stress among young adults. The study included 240 postgraduate students from M.A., M.Sc., and MBA courses within the age group of 20–30 years. A quantitative and descriptive-correlational research design was used for the study. Data were collected with the help of standardized psychological tools, namely the Vedic Personality Inventory (VPI) by Wolf et al. (1999), Ryff’s Psychological Well-Being Scale by Ryff (1989), and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) by Lovibond and Lovibond (1995). The obtained data were analyzed through SPSS using Mean, Standard Deviation, Correlation, ANOVA, Tukey HSD, MANOVA, and Multiple Regression Analysis. The findings showed significant relationships among Triguna Personality Traits, Psychological Well-Being, Depression, Anxiety, and Stress. Sattva was positively related to Psychological Well-Being and negatively related to Depression, Anxiety, and Stress. On the other hand, Rajas and Tamas showed positive relationships with emotional distress variables. Significant differences were also found among M.A., M.Sc., and MBA students on all major variables. MBA students reported higher levels of stress, anxiety, depression, Rajas, and Tamas, whereas M.A. students scored higher on Sattva and Psychological Well-Being. Regression analysis further revealed that Triguna Personality Traits significantly predicted Psychological Well-Being and emotional distress among young adults. The study highlights the importance of Indian psychological concepts in understanding mental health and emotional adjustment among students.