Work-family conflict and moral distress: Associations with hedonic and eudaimonic well-being through a person-centred approach

Work-family conflict (WFC), moral distress, guilt, and moral injury are critical psychological factors that influence individual well-being. However, research has rarely considered how these variables cluster within individuals and how such patterns relate to different dimensions of well-being. This study adopted a person centred approach to identify latent profiles based on these four constructs and explore their association with both hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. A Latent Profile Analysis was conducted on a sample of 476 Italian working mothers, divided into two subgroups: 248 were mothers of preschool children and 228 were mothers of adolescent children for whom they were the primary caregivers. Participants completed an online self-report questionnaire assessing validated measures of the variables. The best-fitting solution identified three distinct profiles: a resilient profile (N = 68) characterized by low levels on all variables; a low distress profile (N = 215) showing slightly elevated moral distress but low scores on the other indicators; and a high distress profile (N = 193), characterized by high levels across all four variables. No significant differences in profile membership emerged between the two subgroups of mothers. To examine the link between profile membership and well-being, two separate ANOVAs were conducted with hedonic and eudaimonic well-being as dependent variables. Results indicated that participants in the high distress profile reported significantly lower well-being compared to those in the low distress and resilient profiles. These findings underscore the importance of simultaneously considering multiple sources of psychological distress when assessing and promoting overall well-being. Limitations of the study include the cross-sectional design and reliance on self-report measures. Future research employing longitudinal design is recommended to further clarify the directionality and stability of these effects.