Longitudinal Relationships Between Social Connection, Agency, and Emotional Well-Being: A 13-Year Study

Social connection and agency are typically conceptualized as antecedents of well-being, yet the relative contributions of each for well-being are not yet well known. Moreover, whether or not well-being can lead to social connection and agency has not received sufficient research attention. In the present study, we test longitudinal effects of social connection, agency, and emotional well-being over a time span encompassing 13-years and four quadrennial measurement waves (total N = 22,980). Controlling for age and gender, random-intercept cross-lagged structural equation modelling suggested that earlier emotional well-being significantly predicted future agency and social connection. Similarly, earlier agency predicted future emotional well-being and social connection. However, contrary to previous findings, earlier social connection did not significantly predict emotional well-being or agency in the future. These results suggest that building emotional well-being, in addition to agency, may lead to the best social, emotional and cognitive well-being outcomes.