Religious involvement is often conceptualized as an important psychological and existential resource that contributes to individuals’ well-being. Previous research suggests that higher levels of religiosity are associated with more positive evaluations of one’s life, which may influence how individuals reflect on major life decisions, including parenthood. Parental regret, understood as a negative retrospective evaluation of becoming a parent, may be shaped by broader life appraisals rather than by parenting experiences alone. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine whether positive life balance mediates the relationship between religious involvement and parental regret. The sample consisted of 208 adults aged 22 to 67 years (M = 38.27, SD = 8.59), predominantly women (86.1%). Most participants identified as Catholic (83.7%), were married in a religious ceremony (66.3%), and had two children (44.7%). They completed measures of religious involvement, positive life balance, and parental regret. Pearson correlation analyses indicated that religious involvement was positively associated with positive life balance, and negatively associated with parental regret. Positive life balance was moderately negatively related to parental regret. A mediation analysis (Model 4; Hayes) revealed that religious involvement was positively related to positive life balance (b = 0.1324, p = .018), which in turn was negatively associated with parental regret (b = −0.3855, p < .001). Bootstrapping indicated a significant indirect effect (b = −0.0510, 95% CI [−0.1021, −0.0070]). These findings suggest that religious involvement may reduce parental regret indirectly by enhancing individuals’ overall positive evaluation of their lives.
Religious Involvement and Parental Regret: Examining the Mediating Role of Positive Life Balance