The influence of time attitudes profile membership on mental well-being and psychosomatic symptomatology: A United Kingdom-based prospective study

Mental well-being is of great importance for emotional, psychological and social functioning, particularly in adolescence, a period characterized by significant physical, social, and emotional changes. The extant literature examining the relationship between temporal attitudes and mental and psychosomatic health outcomes is increasing rapidly. Using Latent Transition Analysis (LTA) of Adolescent and Adult Time Inventory-Time Attitude Scale scores across three waves of data (N = 1667; 13–15 years; 42.0% female), we sought to examine the predictive power of time attitudes profile membership on mental well-being and psychosomatic symptomatology at distal wave four. Results indicated that staying in the Positive or Ambivalent profile was associated with more favorable distal outcomes at + 9 months; whereas staying in Negative or Moderately-Negative profile was strongly related to more somatic and psychological symptomatology, and lower mental well-being. Given the potential to modify time attitudes, these findings have several implications for interventions targeting adolescent mental and physical health.