Is Existential Nihilism a Risk or a Refuge? Its Paradoxical Role in Psychological Adjustment Among Emerging Adults

Emerging adulthood is a developmental period marked by heightened identity exploration and existential questioning, particularly when individuals encounter adverse life events that challenge their sense of meaning and direction. Drawing on a sample of 1,811 Chinese emerging adults, this study examined the mediating role of existential nihilism in the associations between negative life events and psychological adjustment. Results from path analysis indicated that greater exposure to negative life events was significantly associated with stronger existential nihilistic beliefs. Existential nihilism partially mediated the associations between stressful life events and both psychological outcomes. Interestingly, nihilism displayed a paradoxical pattern: it was associated with lower well-being but also with fewer depressive symptoms, suggesting that nihilism may be associated with a form of emotional disengagement. These findings highlight the complex associations between nihilistic beliefs, life stress, and psychological adjustment among emerging adults, particularly within high-pressure sociocultural contexts such as contemporary Chinese emerging adults.