Value Orientation Profiles and Their Association with Psychosocial Health and Subjective Well-Being Among Young Adults in Korea

This study examined value orientation profiles and factors associated with these profiles, as well as their associations with loneliness, depressive symptoms and subjective well-being (SWB) among young adults in Korea. We analyzed the data from 2,041 participants aged 19 to 34 years in the 2021 Youth Socio-Economic Reality Survey. The five value dimensions (i.e., “work-leisure,” “reality-ideal,” “outcome-process,” “individual-group,” and “other’s view-own view”) were used as profile indicators in latent profile analysis (LPA). Four value orientation profiles were identified: “the work-oriented realists” (15.9%); “the leisure-oriented realists” (21.5%); “the moderates” (45.8%); and “the idealists” (16.9%). Male participants and those with lower levels of education were more likely to be in in the work-oriented profile. Married participants were more likely to be in the realist profile than in the idealist profile. Patterns in the relative importance individuals placed on values were significantly associated with psychosocial health. Realist profiles were associated with lower levels of loneliness and depressive symptoms, as well as greater SWB. These findings suggest the need to consider individuals’ value orientations to improve psychosocial health and SWB.