Personality and Mental Well-Being in Spiritual Settings: Evidence from Shrine Visitors

Abstract

The present study examined the association between HEXACO personality traits and mental well-being among shrine visitors. A convenience sample of 209 participants, including 108 men and 101 women, aged 18–50 years (M = 32, SD = 11), participated in the study. Data were collected using the Urdu versions of the HEXACO Personality Inventory–Revised (HEXACO-PI-R; Ashton & Lee, 2009), the Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS; Tennant et al., 2007), and a demographic questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson product–moment correlation, and multiple regression analysis in SPSS version 25. The internal consistency of the study measures was satisfactory. Correlation analysis indicated a significant positive association between honesty-humility and mental well-being (r = .15, p < .05). Multiple regression analysis further showed that honesty-humility was a significant predictor of mental well-being (β = .14, p < .05), accounting for 6% of the variance in mental well-being. The findings suggest that personality characteristics, particularly honesty-humility, may be relevant to understanding mental well-being among individuals visiting spiritual and religious settings. The study contributes to the psychology of religion and has practical implications for psychologists, counselors, and other mental health professionals working in culturally and spiritually informed settings.