How does power affect happiness and mental illness? The mediating role of proactive coping

Abstract

Previous research suggests that sense of power is associated with happiness and mental illness. However, the mechanisms underlying this relationship is relatively unexplored. This study aimed to examine whether proactive coping mediated the relationship between power and mental illness and between power and happiness. Specifically, we predicted that power—which is associated with goal-oriented tendencies, high-level construals, and positive characteristics—activates the use of proactive coping strategies, which in turn leads to greater happiness and less mental illness. By carrying out a survey (Study 1, N = 150) and an experiment (Study 2, N = 143), we found results that were consistent with our predictions. Overall, this study demonstrates the psychological mechanisms behind the influence of power on happiness and mental illness from the perspective of coping.