This study examines the intricate relationship between social support, resilience, and gratitude, and how these collectively impact happiness. Utilising current psychological theories, the study seeks to clarify how these positive psychology concepts impact the well-being of young adults in Malaysia. A cross-sectional survey was conducted, comprising a total of 320 participants. Data on each variable was collected using validated scales. The investigation revealed robust positive connections between happiness and social support, resilience, and gratitude. In addition, a multiple regression study revealed that social support, resilience, and gratitpude are important predictors of happiness, accounting for 51.4% of the variability in happiness scores. These results highlight the significance of improving social support, resilience, and gratitude through specific interventions to promote increased well-being. The study also emphasises the importance of tailoring mental health methods to align with cultural nuances, hence augmenting their efficacy in heterogeneous groups.
Bonanno, G. A. (2021). The resilience paradox. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 12(1), Article 1942642.
Brown, K. W., & Ryan, R. M. (2003). The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(4), 822–848.
Chu, P. S., Saucier, D. A., & Hafner, E. (2020). Meta-analysis of the relationships between social support and well-being in children and adolescents. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 29(6), 624-645.
Cohen, S. (2019). Social relationships and health. American Psychologist, 59(8), 676-684.
Cohen, S., & Wills, T. A. (1985). Stress, social support, and the buffering hypothesis. Psychological Bulletin, 98(2), 310–357.
Davis, D. E., Choe, E., Meyers, J., Wade, N., Varjas, K., Gifford, A., Quinn, A., Hook, J. N., Van Tongeren, D. R., Griffin, B. J., & Worthington, E. L. (2016). Thankful for the little things: A meta-analysis of gratitude interventions. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 63(1), 20-31.
Demirci, I., & Ek?i, H. (2020). Examining the role of social support in college students' psychological well-being. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 25(1), 940-953.
Emmons, R. A. (2019). Gratitude works!: A 21-day program for creating emotional prosperity. Jossey-Bass.
Emmons, R. A., & Mishra, A. (2018). Why gratitude enhances well-being: What we know, what we need to know. In K. Sheldon, T. Kashdan, & M. Steger (Eds.), Designing Positive Psychology: Taking Stock and Moving Forward, Oxford University Press.
Fredrickson, B. L. (2001). The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. American Psychologist, 56(3), 218–226.
Johnson, K., & Wood, A. M. (2021). Toward a positive psychology of relationships: New directions in theory and research. Westview Press, New York.
Kawachi, I., & Berkman, L. F. (2020). Social ties and mental health. Journal of Urban Health, 78(3), 458-467.
Liu, J. J., Reed, M., & Girard, T. A. (2021). Advancing resilience: An integrative multi-system model of resilience. Personality and Individual Differences, 136, 116-124.
Lomas, T., Hefferon, K., & Ivtzan, I. (2019). Applied Positive Psychology: Integrated Positive Practice. Sage Publications.
Lyubomirsky, S. (2021). The how of happiness: A scientific approach to getting the life you want. Penguin Books, New York.
Markus, H. R., & Kitayama, S. (1991). Culture and the self: Implications for cognition, emotion, and motivation. Psychological Review, 98(2), 224–253.
Neenan, M. (2019). Developing Resilience: A Cognitive-Behavioural Approach. Routledge.
Paulhus, D. L., & Vazire, S. (2007). The self-report method. In R. W. Robins, R. C. Fraley, & R. F. Krueger (Eds.), Handbook of Research Methods in Personality Psychology (pp. 224–239). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Robertson, I. T., Cooper, C. L., Sarkar, M., & Curran, T. (2020). Resilience training in the workplace from 2003 to 2014: A systematic review. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 89(3), 576-600.
Smith, B., & Hollinger-Smith, L. (2020). Resilience and happiness: A review of literature and intervention opportunities. Clinical Gerontologist, 43(5), 527-540.
Smith, B., & Lazarus, R. (2020). Emotion and adaptation. In L. Feldman Barrett, M. Lewis, & J. M. Haviland-Jones (Eds.), Handbook of Emotions (4th ed.). Guilford Press.
Smith, J. M., Alloy, L. B., & Abramson, L. Y. (2017). Cognitive vulnerability to depression, rumination, hopelessness, and suicidal ideation: Multiple pathways to self-injurious thinking. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 47(6), 739–750.
Smith, L., & Lim, M. H. (2021). How the COVID-19 pandemic is focusing attention on loneliness and social isolation. Public Health Research & Practice, 31(2), e3121607.
Southwick, S. M., & Charney, D. S. (2018). Resilience: The Science of Mastering Life's Greatest Challenges. Cambridge University Press.
Taylor, S. E. (2018). Health psychology (10th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
Wagnild, G. (2019). The resilience scale user's guide for the US English version of the resilience scale and the 14-item resilience scale (RS-14). Resilience Center.
Watkins, P. C. (2018). Gratitude and the good life: Toward a psychology of appreciation. Springer Netherlands.
Wood, A. M., Froh, J. J., & Geraghty, A. W. A. (2010). Gratitude and well-being: A review and theoretical integration. Clinical Psychology Review, 30(7), 890–905.
Wood, A. M., Froh, J. J., & Geraghty, A. W. A. (2017). Gratitude and well-being: A review and theoretical integration. Clinical Psychology Review, 30(7), 890-905.
Wood, A. M., Joseph, S., & Maltby, J. (2021). Gratitude uniquely predicts satisfaction with life: Incremental validity above the domains and facets of the five-factor model. Personality and Individual Differences, 42(5), 653-662.
Yan, T. J., Ma’rof, A. A., & Abdullah, H. (2024). Relationship Between Social Support, Resilience, and Gratitude on Happiness among Young Adults in Selangor, Malaysia. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 14(8), 1882–1894.
