Country-level Differences in the Effects of Financial Hardship on Life Satisfaction: The Role of Religious Context and Age-contingent Buffering

Abstract

Existing research suggests that financial hardship is negatively associated with life satisfaction. Largely absent from the literature, however, is an examination of whether this association varies across national context. Drawing on the sixth wave of the World Values Survey (2010–2014), this study assesses whether religious context moderates the association between financial hardship and life satisfaction. Moreover, it investigates how the moderating influences of religious context vary by age groups. Multilevel analyses reveal that the negative association between financial hardship and life satisfaction is weaker in countries with higher levels of religiosity than in countries with lower levels of religiosity. Further, the stress-buffering properties of religious context operate primarily for older adults. These findings underscore the importance of considering national context in research on stress and mental health. Moreover, future research should examine status-based differences in the ways that national context modifies the association between stress and mental health.