Turning Point Narratives and Psychosocial Well-Being in the Africa Long Lives Study (ALLS)

This preregistered study examines associations between narrative identity processes and psychosocial well-being in the Africa Long Lives Study (ALLS), a large, cross-national study of adulthood in multiple African regions. Drawing on narrative identity theory, we focus on participants’ written turning point narratives—accounts of significant life changes—and assess whether established narrative dimensions linked to well-being in Western samples also operate similarly in a non-Western context. Turning point narratives have been coded on six theoretically derived dimensions: agency, thwarted agency, communion, thwarted communion, redemption, and contamination. Prior research in predominantly Western contexts suggests that narratives characterized by agency, communion, and redemption are associated with greater well-being, whereas narratives emphasizing thwarted agency, thwarted communion, and contamination are associated with poorer mental health. The present study tests whether these associations generalize to African cultural contexts. Psychosocial well-being is assessed using the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) and the International Mental Health Assessment (IMHA). Using correlational and regression-based analyses, we examine associations between narrative dimensions and well-being outcomes, while also exploring whether these associations remain robust when accounting for demographic and contextual factors such as education and geographic region. By preregistering hypotheses and analytic decisions, this study aims to provide a transparent, theory-driven test of the cross-cultural applicability of narrative identity constructs.