Strengths That Sustain: Psychological Resources Underpinning Mental Health and Life Satisfaction in Early Childhood Educators

Previous research has clearly demonstrated that early childhood educators’ mental health and life satisfaction substantially shape both learning and teaching processes in kindergarten, as well as children’s developmental outcomes. Accordingly, examining the levels and determinants of positive mental health and life satisfaction among early childhood educators is of critical importance. The present study investigates the predictive roles of personality traits, social and emotional competencies, and psychological capital (optimism and resilience) in explaining educators’ positive mental health and life satisfaction, given the well-established effects of these factors on the quality of early childhood educational practice. The sample comprised N = 310 early childhood educators from Primorje – Gorski Kotar County in Croatia. As criterion variables, positive mental health was measured by the Mental Health Continuum Scale and life satisfaction with the Satisfaction With Life Scale. Aside from this, personality was measured by Ten Item Personality Inventory, social and emotional competencies by the CASEL scale, optimism by the Revised Life Orientation Test and resilience by the Brief Resilience Scale as predictors. Correlation analyses yielded the expected significant and positive associations among the investigated variables. Four regression analyses identified expected significant predictors. Emotional stability, openness to experience, self-awareness, self-management, and optimism are determined as significant predictors for psychological well-being. Extraversion, emotional stability, self-management, and optimism are significant predictors for social well-being. The findings are discussed in terms of their theoretical and practical implications, with particular emphasis on directions for future research, the development and refinement of lifelong learning programmes, and the advancement of high-quality kindergarten practice.