Explaining micro and macro worries and their associations with subjective well-being: insights from the 2024 Austrian Social Survey

In the current polycrisis, worries have become increasingly relevant for understanding inequalities in subjective well-being (SWB). We distinguish between economic micro and transnational macro worries, assuming differences regarding antecedents as well as associations with SWB. A theoretical model is tested based on data from the 2024 Social Survey Austria (n = 1546), examining how perceived financial situation and political orientation shape both types of worries, and how these worries relate to life satisfaction and negative affect. Results show that micro worries are explained by perceived financial situation, whereas macro worries are primarily associated with political orientation. Both types of worries are linked to higher negative affect, while only micro worries are related to lower life satisfaction. Moreover, worries mediate the effects of financial situation and political orientation on SWB. Our findings suggest that worries constitute socially patterned stressors and may represent important psychosocial determinants of SWB.