IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/chinre/v14y2021i6d10.1007_s12187-021-09846-9.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Evolution of Life Satisfaction Throughout Childhood and Adolescence: Differences in Young People’s Evaluations According to Age and Gender

Author

Listed:
  • Maria Aymerich

    (University of Girona (UdG))

  • Ramon Cladellas

    (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB))

  • Antoni Castelló

    (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB))

  • Ferran Casas

    (University of Girona (UdG))

  • Mònica Cunill

    (University of Girona (UdG))

Abstract

The level of life satisfaction perceived during childhood and adolescence is an excellent indicator of healthy psychological emotional development. The main aim of this work is to study the levels of life satisfaction perceived by young people throughout their childhood and adolescence. To this end, an innovative retrospective approach is adopted that shows how the evolution of life satisfaction is perceived at different ages according to gender. The present study is based on a sample of 600 Spanish adolescents (58.1% girls; mean age = 16.64) who report the evolution of their life satisfaction from 6 years to 18, through the Life Satisfaction Chart (LSCh). The Goldberg Anxiety and Depression Scale (GADS) is also administered to record levels of anxiety and depression. The results indicate no gender differences in terms of life satisfaction during childhood. Levels of life satisfaction are significantly higher in childhood than in pre-adolescence and adolescence and a significant decrease in levels appearing towards the age of 11. As for gender, significant differences in life satisfaction appear from the age of 12, with girls being significantly more dissatisfied, more depressed and more anxious than boys. Current levels of anxiety and depression do not appear to interfere with retrospectively reported levels of life satisfaction throughout the developmental years studied, except among the female population, where minimal interference is detected. Life satisfaction retrospectively reported by young people shows a significant decrease after the age of 11 years, with greater emotional and psychological vulnerability after this age, mainly and notably among girls. The present results highlight the importance of psychological/affective care in the pre-adolescent and adolescent stages, especially among the female population.

Suggested Citation

  • Maria Aymerich & Ramon Cladellas & Antoni Castelló & Ferran Casas & Mònica Cunill, 2021. "The Evolution of Life Satisfaction Throughout Childhood and Adolescence: Differences in Young People’s Evaluations According to Age and Gender," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 14(6), pages 2347-2369, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:chinre:v:14:y:2021:i:6:d:10.1007_s12187-021-09846-9
    DOI: 10.1007/s12187-021-09846-9
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s12187-021-09846-9
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s12187-021-09846-9?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Julie Seligson & E. Huebner & Robert Valois, 2003. "Preliminary Validation of the Brief Multidimensional Students' Life Satisfaction Scale (BMSLSS)," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 61(2), pages 121-145, February.
    2. Kaye-Tzadok, Avital & Kim, Sun Suk & Main, Gill, 2017. "Children's subjective well-being in relation to gender — What can we learn from dissatisfied children?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 96-104.
    3. Tamar Dinisman & Asher Ben-Arieh, 2016. "The Characteristics of Children’s Subjective Well-Being," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 126(2), pages 555-569, March.
    4. Mònica González-Carrasco & Ferran Casas & Ferran Viñas & Sara Malo & M. Eugènia Gras & Lívia Bedin, 2017. "What Leads Subjective Well-Being to Change Throughout Adolescence? An Exploration of Potential Factors," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 10(1), pages 33-56, March.
    5. Ferran Casas & Jorge Sarriera & Jaime Alfaro & Mònica González & Sara Malo & Irma Bertran & Cristina Figuer & Daniel Cruz & Lívia Bedin & Angela Paradiso & Karin Weinreich & Boris Valdenegro, 2012. "Testing the Personal Wellbeing Index on 12–16 Year-Old Adolescents in 3 Different Countries with 2 New Items," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 105(3), pages 461-482, February.
    6. Ferran Casas & Mònica González-Carrasco, 2020. "The Evolution of Positive and Negative Affect in a Longitudinal Sample of Children and Adolescents," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 13(5), pages 1503-1521, October.
    7. Shannon Suldo & E. Huebner, 2006. "Is Extremely High Life Satisfaction During Adolescence Advantageous?," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 78(2), pages 179-203, September.
    8. Wang Liu & Jie Mei & Lili Tian & E. Huebner, 2016. "Age and Gender Differences in the Relation Between School-Related Social Support and Subjective Well-Being in School Among Students," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 125(3), pages 1065-1083, February.
    9. Tammie Ronen & Liat Hamama & Michael Rosenbaum & Ayla Mishely-Yarlap, 2016. "Subjective Well-Being in Adolescence: The Role of Self-Control, Social Support, Age, Gender, and Familial Crisis," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 17(1), pages 81-104, February.
    10. C. Martin-Krumm & F. Fenouillet & A. Csillik & L. Kern & M. Besancon & J. Heutte & Y. Paquet & Y. Delas & M. Trousselard & B. Lecorre & E. Diener, 2018. "Changes in Emotions from Childhood to Young Adulthood," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 11(2), pages 541-561, April.
    11. Marne Arthaud-day & Joseph Rode & Christine Mooney & Janet Near, 2005. "The Subjective Well-being Construct: A Test of its Convergent, Discriminant, and Factorial Validity," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 74(3), pages 445-476, December.
    12. Xinjie Chen & Zhihui Cai & Jinbo He & Xitao Fan, 2020. "Gender Differences in Life Satisfaction Among Children and Adolescents: A Meta-analysis," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(6), pages 2279-2307, August.
    13. Maria Aymerich & Ferran Casas, 2020. "A contextualized measure of Overall Life Satisfaction among adolescents: differences by gender," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 13(6), pages 2241-2260, December.
    14. Llosada-Gistau, Joan & Montserrat, Carme & Casas, Ferran, 2015. "The subjective well-being of adolescents in residential care compared to that of the general population," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 150-157.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Marija Džida & Toni Babarović & Andreja Brajša-Žganec, 2023. "The Factor Structure of Different Subjective Well-Being Measures and its Correlates in the Croatian Sample of Children and Adolescents," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 16(5), pages 1871-1888, October.
    2. Maria Aymerich & Antoni Castelló & Ramon Cladellas, 2022. "Efficacy of a Contextualized Measurement of Life Satisfaction: A Pilot Study on the Assessment of Progress in Eating Disorder Therapy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-14, November.
    3. Małgorzata Szcześniak & Iga Bajkowska & Anna Czaprowska & Aleksandra Sileńska, 2022. "Adolescents’ Self-Esteem and Life Satisfaction: Communication with Peers as a Mediator," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-13, March.
    4. Eirini Leriou, 2023. "Understanding and Measuring Child Well-being in the Region of Attica, Greece: Round Five," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 16(4), pages 1395-1451, August.
    5. Raziye Yüksel Doğan & Emine Nilgün Metin, 2023. "Exploring the Relationship between Mindfulness and Life Satisfaction in Adolescents: The Role of Social Competence and Self-Esteem," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 16(4), pages 1453-1473, August.
    6. Jose Marquez & Ferran Casas & Laura Taylor & Jan-Emmanuel Neve, 2024. "Economic Development and Adolescent Wellbeing in 139 Countries," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 17(4), pages 1405-1442, August.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Emilly Cavalheiro Esidio & Marco Túlio Aniceto França & Gustavo Saraiva Frio, 2023. "Differences between genders in the subjective well-being of students participating in PISA 2018," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 16(4), pages 1781-1809, August.
    2. Loreto Ditzel & Ferran Casas & Javier Torres-Vallejos & Alejandra Villarroel, 2022. "The Subjective Well-Being of Chilean Children Living in Conditions of High Social Vulnerability," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 17(3), pages 1639-1660, June.
    3. Ditzel, Loreto & Casas, Ferran & Torres-Vallejos, Javier & Reyes, Fernando & Alfaro, Jaime, 2022. "Children participating in after-school programs in Chile: Subjective well-being, satisfaction with free time use and satisfaction with the program," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    4. Jose Marquez & Joanna Inchley & Emily Long, 2022. "Cross-Country and Gender Differences in Factors Associated with Population-Level Declines in Adolescent Life Satisfaction," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 15(4), pages 1405-1428, August.
    5. Ana Loreto Ditzel & María Josefina Chuecas & Lívia Maria Bedin & Javier Torres-Vallejos & Alejandra Villarroel & Mariavictoria Benavente & Jaime Alfaro & Jorge Castellá Sarriera & Joel Juarros-Basterr, 2022. "Access to material resources and the subjective well-being of children in Brazil and Chile," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 15(2), pages 447-465, April.
    6. Marija Džida & Toni Babarović & Andreja Brajša-Žganec, 2023. "The Factor Structure of Different Subjective Well-Being Measures and its Correlates in the Croatian Sample of Children and Adolescents," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 16(5), pages 1871-1888, October.
    7. L. Migliorini & T. Tassara & N. Rania, 2019. "A Study of Subjective Well-Being and Life Satisfaction in Italy: how are Children doing at 8 years of Age?," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 12(1), pages 49-69, February.
    8. Mònica González-Carrasco & Ferran Casas & Sara Malo & Ferran Viñas & Tamar Dinisman, 2017. "Changes with Age in Subjective Well-Being Through the Adolescent Years: Differences by Gender," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 18(1), pages 63-88, February.
    9. Kaye-Tzadok, Avital & Kim, Sun Suk & Main, Gill, 2017. "Children's subjective well-being in relation to gender — What can we learn from dissatisfied children?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 96-104.
    10. Mònica González-Carrasco & Marc Sáez & Ferran Casas, 2020. "Subjective Well-Being in Early Adolescence: Observations from a Five-Year Longitudinal Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-20, November.
    11. Maria Aymerich & Ferran Casas, 2020. "A contextualized measure of Overall Life Satisfaction among adolescents: differences by gender," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 13(6), pages 2241-2260, December.
    12. Hanita Kosher, 2023. "The Relation Between Children's Participation in Their Daily life and Their Subjective Well-Being," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 16(5), pages 1827-1850, October.
    13. Mari Corominas & Mònica González-Carrasco & Ferran Casas, 2020. "The Importance of Feeling Adequately Heard by Adults and Enjoying Time with Family in Relation to Children’s Subjective Well-Being," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 13(1), pages 193-214, February.
    14. Xiaofeng Xu & Qingqing Nie & Wang Liu & E. Scott Huebner & Lili Tian, 2022. "Children’s Life Satisfaction: Developmental Trajectories and Environmental and Personality Predictors," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(6), pages 2805-2826, August.
    15. Mònica González-Carrasco & Ferran Casas & Ferran Viñas & Sara Malo & M. Eugènia Gras & Lívia Bedin, 2017. "What Leads Subjective Well-Being to Change Throughout Adolescence? An Exploration of Potential Factors," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 10(1), pages 33-56, March.
    16. Yochay Nadan & Avital Kaye-Tzadok, 2019. "The Virtual Arena: A Call for a New Domain of Child Subjective Well-Being," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 12(2), pages 461-477, April.
    17. Haiyang Lu & Peng Nie & Alfonso Sousa-Poza, 2021. "The Effect of Parental Educational Expectations on Adolescent Subjective Well-Being and the Moderating Role of Perceived Academic Pressure: Longitudinal Evidence for China," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 14(1), pages 117-137, February.
    18. Ferran Casas & Mònica González-Carrasco, 2021. "Analysing Comparability of Four Multi-Item Well-being Psychometric Scales Among 35 Countries Using Children’s Worlds 3rd Wave 10 and 12-year-olds Samples," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 14(5), pages 1829-1861, October.
    19. Zhu, Xinxin & Tian, Lili & Zhou, Jianhua & Huebner, E. Scott, 2019. "The developmental trajectory of behavioral school engagement and its reciprocal relations with subjective well-being in school among Chinese elementary school students," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 286-295.
    20. Noam Tarshish, 2020. "Children’s Multidimensional Subjective Well-Being in OECD and Non-OECD Countries: Is Cross-Country Comparison Possible?," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 13(1), pages 51-66, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:chinre:v:14:y:2021:i:6:d:10.1007_s12187-021-09846-9. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.