Name: | Description: | Size: | Format: | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1.23 MB | Adobe PDF |
Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Abstract: The relation between positive youth development and stress, anxiety and depression was
studied considering the mediator role of psychological symptoms and life satisfaction. A total of
3109 students included in the “Psychological Health and Well-being” study of the School Observatory
participated, including 1618 females and 1491 males aged between 11 and 18 years old (M = 14.45;
SD = 1.88), belonging to different school groups in different regions of the country. Adolescents
with higher stress, depression and anxiety levels reported lower levels of competence, confidence
and connection, as well as more psychological symptoms and lower life satisfaction. The results
also showed that adolescents with higher levels of competence, confidence and connection reported
less psychological symptoms and more life satisfaction. Two separate mediation analyses were
performed to analyse the role of mental distress and life satisfaction on the relationship between
positive youth development indicators and stress, anxiety and depression. These analyses confirmed
the predicted relationships and partial mediations between mental distress and life satisfaction.
These results should be taken into account in public policies concerning young people’s health and
education that should involve both targeted and indicated prevention strategies, including school
and community-based interventions, in order to be effective.
Description
Keywords
Positive youth development Mental distress Life satisfaction Stress Anxiety Sepression Middle school High school Students
Citation
Carvalho, M., Branquinho, C., Moraes, B., Cerqueira, A., Tomé, G., Noronha, C., Gaspar, T., Matos, M. G. D., & Rodrigues, N. (2024). Positive Youth Development, Mental Stress and Life Satisfaction in Middle School and High School Students in Portugal: Outcomes on Stress, Anxiety and Depression. Children, 11(6). https://doi.org/10.3390/children11060681
Publisher
MDPI Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute