Exploring the role of hope, self-esteem and meaning in life in relation to subjective well being (SWB) of Vietnamese college students

This study explores the concept of happiness and the factors that contribute to it as well as the role of self-esteem, meaning in life and hope in relation to subjective well being (SWB) of Vietnamese college students. The study used a concurrent triangulation mixed method research design. Study 1 is the survey of 250 college students from different universities in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam. The regression analysis showed that hope is a significant predictor of the three components of SWB: life satisfaction, positive and negative affects. Collective selfesteem is the second predictor of affective components, positive and negative affect. In Study 2, 15 college students participated in the interview. A qualitative thematic analysis of open- ended questions showed that the definition of happiness is categorized into two dimensions, which is intrapersonal satisfaction such as goal achievement or success, needs and life satisfaction, positive feeling, peace of mind, inner freedom, and downward comparison. The second category is interpersonal relatedness: good and harmonious relationship with others, parents and familys happiness, connectedness/belongingness. The factors contributing to happiness are achievement, interpersonal relatedness, connectedness, intrapersonal characteristics and personal circumstances. Moreover, the understanding about the concepts of hope, meaning in life and selfesteem were explored and the ways these factors contribute to happiness were investigated. The implications of these findings are discussed in terms of counseling practice and research