The Role of Psychological Distress on High School Students' Meaning in Life: Gender Analysis

Authors

  • Diah Puspasari Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Development, Sultan Idris Education University, Perak, Malaysia
  • Hazalizah Hamzah Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Development, Sultan Idris Education University, Perak, Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15575/jpib.v9i2.58759

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between psychological distress and meaning in life among senior high school students and whether it differed by gender in a predominantly Sundanese sample of adolescents (75.2%) in Bandung. Participants were 709 students (351 males, 358 females) selected using multistage sampling at the school level and convenience sampling at the class level. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) and Multi-Group Analysis (MGA), preceded by the Measurement Invariance of Composite Models (MICOM) procedure. Psychological distress was significantly and negatively related to meaning in life for both male (β = -0.305; p < .001) and female students (β = -0.396; p < .001). Parametric tests, bootstrap PLS-MGA, and permutation tests consistently indicated no significant difference in path coefficients between groups (p > .05). Thus, psychological distress is associated with a diminished sense of meaning in life among adolescents, regardless of gender.

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Published

2026-10-31

How to Cite

Puspasari, D., & Hamzah, H. (2026). The Role of Psychological Distress on High School Students’ Meaning in Life: Gender Analysis. Jurnal Psikologi Islam Dan Budaya, 9(2), 85–98. https://doi.org/10.15575/jpib.v9i2.58759

Issue

Vol. 9 No. 2 (2026): JPIB : Jurnal Psikologi Islam dan Budaya

Section

Articles

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Copyright (c) 2026 Diah Puspasari, Hazalizah Hamzah

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