TITLE:
The Relationship between Mental Health Components and Locus of Control in Youth
AUTHORS:
Mahnaz Shojaee, Carmel French
KEYWORDS:
Mental Health, Locus of Control, Autonomy, Self-Acceptance, Personal Growth, Purpose in Life, Environmental Mastery, Positive Relations with Others
JOURNAL NAME:
Psychology,
Vol.5 No.8,
June
19,
2014
ABSTRACT: Using Ryff’s positive psychological theory as a conceptual framework,
this research was focused on mental health or well-being to explore the degree
to which mental health can be predicted by personality traits and demographic
factors in Nova Scotian youth and young adults. This theory covered all
critical features of well-being by taking benefits from different
developmental, personality and clinical theories. Employing Ryff’s inclusive
theory that covered six dimensions including purpose in life, self-acceptance,
positive relations with others, autonomy, environmental mastery, and personal
growth, the researcher studied the relationship between mental health
components and the locus of control. Participants: One hundred and seventy-two
students of Mount Saint Vincent University were randomly selected and
participated in this study. Measures: All participants completed three
measures, Rotter’s Locus of Control Scale, Ryff’s Psychological Well-Being
Scale and Demographic Questionnaire. Method: Quantitative methods such as
bivariate correlation, ANOVA and hierarchical linear regression were used to
explain the relationships between variables based on the research hypotheses.
Results: The statistical analysis of data revealed that there was a positive
and linear association between the internal locus of control and all six well-being
components. Findings from the current research demonstrated that individuals
who have an internal tendency in their locus of control are in higher levels of
mental health in compression with individuals with external locus of control.
Using hierarchical linear regression revealed that locus of control, gender,
citizenship status, marital status can predict 41% of the variance in
participants’ mental health.