Abstract
Meaning in life (MIL) is a key protective factor in the psychological adjustment of university students, yet little is known about its long-term evolution in natural contexts. This study examined longitudinal trajectories of MIL and their psychological correlates using Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) over a six-month period. A total of 646 Spanish university students completed a comprehensive baseline evaluation and participated in 14 EMA measurement waves via the MEmind digital platform, reporting on four selected items from the Purpose in Life Test. Additional psychological constructs—including positive and negative affect, depressive symptoms, emotion regulation strategies (cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression), and interpersonal factors (thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness)—were assessed once at baseline. Growth mixture modeling identified four distinct MIL trajectories: high-stable (74.1%), slight decline (20.5%), sharp decline (3.5%), and low-stable (1.9%). Students in the high-stable group reported higher levels of positive affect and cognitive reappraisal, while those in the declining or low-stable groups showed elevated levels of depressive symptoms, negative affect, and perceived burdensomeness. These findings suggest that positive emotional experiences and adaptive emotion regulation may help sustain MIL over time, whereas emotional distress and interpersonal vulnerability may undermine it. Promoting MIL among university students could therefore be a critical target for prevention and intervention efforts aimed at enhancing psychological well-being in higher education contexts.
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Dataset is available at Harvard Dataverse: https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/MXXRZK.
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Conceptualization: José Enrique Layrón, Sandra Pérez, José H. Marco; Methodology: Sandra Pérez, José H. Marco; Formal analysis and investigation: Andrea Conchado Peiró; Writing - original draft preparation: José Enrique Layrón; Writing - review and editing: José Enrique Layrón, Sandra Pérez; Supervision: Andrea Conchado Peiró; José H. Marco.
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Folgado, J.L., Peiró, A.C., Marco, J.H. et al. Trajectories of meaning in life among Spanish university students: a six-month ecological momentary assessment study. Curr Psychol 45, 218 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-025-08595-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-025-08595-0