Evaluating Positive Person-Environment Variables and Overall Health as Parallel Mediators for the Relationship Between Core Self-Evaluations and Subjective Well-being in People With Multiple Sclerosis

Core self-evaluation (CSE) is a higher-order personality construct comprising traits like self-esteem, generalized self-efficacy, locus of control, and emotional stability. It reflects fundamental beliefs about one’s self-worth, abilities, sense of control, and overall capability. CSE is a well-documented positive person-environment (P-E) variable in rehabilitation counseling research, linked to subjective well-being (SWB) among college students with disabilities, individuals with spinal cord injuries, and those with multiple sclerosis (MS). However, mechanisms behind the CSE-SWB relationship are not well understood. This study hypothesized that positive P-E variables such as hope, resilience, coping ability, health, and social support mediate the CSE-SWB relationship. Using a sample of individuals with MS, parallel mediation analysis showed all positive P-E variables were significantly associated with both CSE and SWB at the zero-order correlation level. However, the effect of hope, resilience, and coping ability on SWB dissipated after accounting for CSE, while social support and overall health remained significantly related to SWB in the model. These findings suggest that while hope, resilience, and coping ability contribute to CSE, health and social support are significant mediators of the CSE-SWB relationship. This research informs the development of CSE interventions to improve the health, well-being, and employment outcomes of people with MS.