SUBJECTIVE HAPPINESS AND HOLISTIC WELL-BEING: A CORRELATIONAL STUDY USING A NOVEL MULTIDIMENSIONAL MEASURE

Abstract

This study explores the relationship between subjective happiness and holistic well-being using the Brief Khatri–Anila Measure of Well-Being (Brief KAMoW), a newly developed scale designed by the author to assess four well-being domains: Physical, Psychological, Social, and Spiritual Well-Being. A sample of 100 university students aged 19 to 24 years completed the Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS; Lyubomirsky & Lepper, 1999) and the Brief KAMoW. Pearson’s correlation and multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the predictive relationship between subjective happiness and the well-being domains. Correlational results showed that subjective happiness was significantly associated with psychological, social, and spiritual well-being. However, multiple regression analysis revealed that only spiritual well-being was a significant predictor of subjective happiness when all domains were considered simultaneously. These findings highlight the central role of spiritual well-being in fostering happiness and suggest that spiritual fulfillment may serve as a key emotional anchor in positive mental health. The study offers a more nuanced understanding of how happiness interacts with various aspects of well-being, paving the way for broader, more integrative models of psychological wellness.