The Mediating Role of Hope in the Relationship Between Meaning in Life and Subjective Well-Being Among Visually Impaired Individuals in Malaysia: Controlling for Disability-Related Characteristics
- Nurfitri Nadzirah Sarkawi — Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia, Malaysia
- Nur Fatihah Abdullah Bandar — Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia, Malaysia
- Zaiton Hassan — Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia, Malaysia
- Rekaya Vincent Balang — Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia, Malaysia
- Ahmad Shamsuri Muhamad — Faculty of Education, Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia , Malaysia
- Nor Wahiza Abdul Wahat — Faculty of Educational Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Selangor, Malaysia, Malaysia
- Publication History
- Published online: August 31, 2026
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.35877/454RI.asci4712
- Copyright
- Copyright (c) 2026 Nurfitri Nadzirah Sarkawi, Abdullah Bandar Nur Fatihah, Zaiton Hassan, Rekaya Vincent Balang, Ahmad Shamsuri Muhamad, Nor Wahiza Abdul Wahat (Author)
- User License
- https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Abstract
Subjective well-being (SWB) is individuals’ cognitive and emotional evaluations of their lives, including life satisfaction and affective experiences. However, limited research has examined the relationship between meaning in life and SWB and the role of hope in this relationship among persons with visual impairment, particularly in Malaysia. This study investigates the role of hope as a mediator in the linkages between meaning in life and subjective well-being (SWB) among visually impaired individuals in Malaysia. Using a cross-sectional design, data were collected from 144 participants, member of the Society of Blind Malaysia (SBM) and the Malaysian Association for the Blind (MAB). Meaning in life was assessed using the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ) and hope was measured using the Adult Hope Scale (AHS) respectively, while SWB was assessed using a multidimensional instrument adapted from established quality of life and well-being measures. Correlational analysis showed significant positive relationship between meaning in life, hope and SWB. The PROCESS Macro mediation analysis indicated that hope partially mediates the relationship between meaning in life and SWB. Specifically, those who felt a greater sense of life meaning showed more hope, which was linked to enhanced SWB. These results highlight the significance of cultivating hope in psychological treatments to improve the well-being of individuals with visual impairments. The study provides actionable insights for social support services and emphasizes paths for upcoming studies in positive psychology and disability research.
Keywords
Downloads
References (22)
- Abdullah Bandar, N. F., Hassan, Z., Balang, R. V., Muhamad, A. S., Abdul Wahat, N. W., & Sarkawi, N. N. (2024). A thematic analysis investigating subjective well-being of persons with visual impairment in Malaysia. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 14(8), 1810–1820. https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v14-i8/22555
- Diener, E., Emmons, R. A., Larsen, R. J., & Griffin, S. (1985). The Satisfaction With Life Scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49(1), 71–75. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327752jpa4901_13
- Diener, E., Oishi, S., & Tay, L. (2018). Advances in subjective well-being research. Nature Human Behaviour, 2(4), 253–260.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-018-0307-6
- Frankl, V. E. (1963). Man’s search for meaning: An introduction to logotherapy. Beacon Press.
- Gallagher, M. W., & Lopez, S. J. (2009). Positive expectancies and mental health: Identifying the unique contributions of hope and optimism. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 4(6), 548–556.
- https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760903157166
- Hayes, A. F. (2013). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach. Guilford Press.
- Livneh, H., & Martz, E. (2014). Psychosocial adaptation to disability within the context of positive psychology. In P. T. P. Wong (Ed.), The psychology of meaning in life (pp. 231–256). Routledge.
- Martz, E., & Livneh, H. (2007). Coping with chronic illness and disability: Theoretical, empirical, and clinical aspects. In E. Martz & H. Livneh (Eds.), Coping with chronic illness and disability: Theoretical, empirical, and clinical aspects (pp. 3–27). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-49098-9_1
- Mehmood, H., Ujang, U., Azri, S., & Choon, T. (2022). Conceptual domain model for maintenance management of high-rise residential strata. The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, 48, 77–82.
- Reddy, S. C., & Thevi, T. (2017). Visual impairment and blindness in the elderly population of Malaysia. International Journal of Ophthalmology, 10(11), 1774–1779. https://doi.org/10.18240/ijo.2017.11.21
- Ryff, C. D., & Singer, B. (1998). The contours of positive human health. Psychological Inquiry, 9(1), 1–28.
- https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327965pli0901_1
- Roesch, S. C., & Vaughn, A. A. (2006). Evidence for the dimensionality of hope as a psychological construct among ethnically diverse groups. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 12(1), 93–101. https://doi.org/10.1037/1099-9809.12.1.93
- Schrank, B., Bird, V., Rudnick, A., & Slade, M. (2011). Determinants, self-management strategies and interventions for hope in people with mental disorders: Systematic search and narrative review. Social Science & Medicine, 74(4), 554–564. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2010.10.030
- Snyder, C. R. (1995). Conceptualizing, measuring, and nurturing hope. Journal of Counseling & Development, 73(3), 355–360. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6676.1995.tb01764.x
- Steger, M. F., Frazier, P., Oishi, S., & Kaler, M. (2006).The Meaning in Life Questionnaire: Assessing the presence of and search for meaning in life. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 53(1), 80–93. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.53.1.80
- Steger, M. F., Kashdan, T. B., Sullivan, B. A., & Lorentz, D. (2008). Understanding the search for meaning in life: Personality, cognitive style, and the dynamic between seeking and experiencing meaning. Journal of Personality, 76(2), 199–228. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.2007.00484
- Teoh, J. L., & Bahari, M. I. B. (2017). Happiness among visually disabled adolescents. GESJ: Education Science and Psychology, 5(42). Universiti Malaysia Sabah.
- Wider, W., Mohd Taib, N. M., Ahmad Khadri, M. W. A. K., Yip, F. Y., Lajuma, S., & Punniamoorthy, P. A. (2022). The unique role of hope and optimism in the relationship between environmental quality and life satisfaction during COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(13), 7661. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19137661
- Wong, H. B. (2019). Challenges faced by visually impaired individuals in Malaysia: A review. Malaysian Journal of Public Health Medicine, 19(2), 55–61.
- World Health Organization. (2014). Visual impairment and blindness. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment
How to Cite
Copyright & license
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
