Momentary strength use and momentary and average subjective well-being in students with anxiety symptoms : an experience sampling study

The mental health and well-being of university students have considerably decreased over the last decades, specifically anxiety. Strength use has been found to significantly associate with subjective well-being (SWB). However, strength use was predominantly measured cross-sectionally at the trait level (between-person), in which individual momentary fluctuations over time (within-person level) were left out. Therefore, the focus of the study was to gain insight into the relationship between state strength-use and state and trait SWB in students with anxiety symptoms. An online experience sampling study was conducted over the course of one week with a convenient student sample (N = 14) using the mobile application Ethica. For the evaluation of the trait and state scores, two questionnaires were created. For the analysis, a Linear Mixed Model analysis was executed. Significant positive associations between strength use and SWB were displayed on a between-person level and within-person level. Further, the results implied a negative significant association between strength use and anxiety on a between-person level and within-person level. In conclusion this study has contributed to the understanding of the relationship between strength use and SWB and strength use and anxiety, not only on a between-person level, but further on a within-person level.