Children as agents of adults’ psychological well-being

Introduction. The article presents the results of theoretical and empirical analysis of the role and significance of children in the context of individual life, personal development, and adults’ psychological well-being. It argues that children exert an influence on daily lives and well-being of adults, both as an objective life circumstance and as active co-agents in the life process. Materials and Methods. The hypothesis concerning the relationship between the personal meaning of a child and the psychological well-being of an adult was tested through empirical studies. The studies involved three participant groups: parents (N = 1965), infertility patients (N = 165), and pedagogical professionals (N = 240). The personal meaning of a child was assessed using the Value of Children Scale and the Semantic Psychobiographic Analysis. The psychological well-being of adults performing parental functions was measured using a variety of scales, including the Life Satisfaction Scale, the Subjective Happiness Scale, the Concise Meaning-of-Life Crisis Questionnaire, the Positive and Negative Affect Scale, the Parental Stress Scale, the Parental Burnout Questionnaire, the Parental Self-Attitude Questionnaire, and the Diagnosis of Activity Experiences. For infertility patients, the Infertility Management Scale was used, while the psychological well-being of pedagogical professionals was measured using the Satisfaction with Career Scale, the Experiences in Vocational Activity Questionnaire, and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale. Results. The personal meaning of a child for an adult serves as a valid empirical marker of the strength and direction of its impact on psychological well-being. Distinct psychological types of personal meaning highlight the specific roles children play in the lives of adults. A positive meaning indicates that a child is a condition for adult psychological well-being, while a negative meaning reflects that a child contributes to psychological distress in areas such as reproduction, parenthood, and professional pedagogical work. Conclusions. The findings suggest that children are active co-subjects of life and significant agents in the psychological well-being of adults.