Fear of happiness: religious and psychological implications in Turkey

Abstract

The fear of happiness is culturally influenced, especially in conservative communities, in which there is an indirect suggestion that happiness should be restrained or that it should remain hidden. This study evaluated the fear of happiness of university students (N = 211) in Turkey by administering a collection of questionnaires; the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being, the Satisfaction With Life Scale, Fear of Happiness Scale, and the Piety and Hope components from Religious Orientation Scale (There is no faith bias affecting the fear of happiness). There was no association identified between piety and fear of happiness, but hope and life satisfaction were found to be negatively associated with fear of happiness. It is indirectly implied that cultural-oriented factors than religious values might be potentially playing a major role in the happiness perception. Future research should include the factor of superstitious belief in order to differentiate the level of its impact on fear of happiness.