Examining the Effects of Happiness and Religious Faith on the Life Effectiveness of Sabahan Youths

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has conceivably reduced the life effectiveness (i.e., “generic life skills which facilitate surviving and thriving across a variety of situations†[Neill, 2008]) of many individuals, not least among Sabahan youths. Nevertheless, life effectiveness can be promoted and improved through the use of certain psychosocial factors, not least happiness and religious faith. To investigate the impact of these factors on life effectiveness, a survey involving 522 university students (mean age=21.72; SD=4.59) in Sabah, Malaysia, was conducted. In the survey, life effectiveness was measured across its eight domains, i.e., achievement motivation, active initiative, emotional control, intellectual flexibility, self-confidence, social competence, task leadership, and time management. The study found that each variable – happiness and religious faith – demonstrated a positive contribution to youth life effectiveness. Moreover, religious faith was found to enhance the effect of happiness on life effectiveness. These findings highlight the role of religious faith and happiness as important psychological resources for youths, especially during times of crisis. Therefore, it is recommended that psychological interventions incorporate elements of religious faith and happiness to enhance youths’ life effectiveness, particularly in areas such as achievement motivation, active initiative, emotional control, intellectual flexibility, self-confidence, social competence, task leadership, and time management.