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American High School Students’ Perceptions of Determinants of Life Satisfaction

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  • Shannon Suldo
  • Michael Frank
  • Ashley Chappel
  • Melanie Albers
  • Lisa Bateman

Abstract

Life satisfaction can be assessed either globally or with regard to satisfaction with specific domains of life. The latter multidimensional approach presumes science has delineated with confidence the specific domains most relevant to evaluating whether the criteria for a good life have been met. This paper shares results of a qualitative study of the perceived determinants of life satisfaction among 30 high school students who were diverse in terms of mental health; 6–10 participants were classified as complete mental health, vulnerable, symptomatic but content, or troubled at two time points separated by a year. Thematic analyses of transcribed individual interviews suggested eight themes that capture the domains of life adolescents perceive influence their happiness. These themes are compared and contrasted to domains included in existing multi-dimensional measures of youth life satisfaction. The factors likely to be particularly salient to students with different levels of mental health are noted. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014

Suggested Citation

  • Shannon Suldo & Michael Frank & Ashley Chappel & Melanie Albers & Lisa Bateman, 2014. "American High School Students’ Perceptions of Determinants of Life Satisfaction," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 118(2), pages 485-514, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:118:y:2014:i:2:p:485-514
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-013-0436-2
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Vincent Alfonso & David Allison & Damon Rader & Bernard Gorman, 1996. "The extended satisfaction with life scale: Development and psychometric properties," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 38(3), pages 275-301, January.
    2. Peter Greenspoon & Donald Saklofske, 2001. "Toward an Integration of Subjective Well-Being and Psychopathology," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 54(1), pages 81-108, April.
    3. Shannon Suldo & E. Huebner, 2004. "The Role of Life Satisfaction in the Relationship between Authoritative Parenting Dimensions and Adolescent Problem Behavior," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 66(1), pages 165-195, April.
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    Cited by:

    1. Deniz Yucel & Anastasia S. Vogt Yuan, 2016. "Parents, Siblings, or Friends? Exploring Life Satisfaction among Early Adolescents," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 11(4), pages 1399-1423, December.
    2. Rui-Ping Zhang, 2016. "Positive Affect and Self-Efficacy as Mediators Between Personality and Life Satisfaction in Chinese College Freshmen," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 17(5), pages 2007-2021, October.
    3. Aline Riboli Marasca & Maurício Scopel Hoffmann & Anelise Reis Gaya & Denise Ruschel Bandeira, 2021. "Subjective Well-Being and Psychopathology Symptoms: Mental Health Profiles and their Relations with Academic Achievement in Brazilian Children," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 14(3), pages 1121-1137, June.
    4. Zi Jia Ng & Eugene Scott Huebner & Alberto Maydeu-Olivares & Kimberly Joy Hills, 2018. "Confirmatory Factor Analytic Structure and Measurement Invariance of the Brief Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale (BMSLSS) in a Longitudinal Sample of Adolescents," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 11(4), pages 1237-1247, August.
    5. R. M. Tomlinson & L. Keyfitz & J. S. Rawana & M. N. Lumley, 2017. "Unique Contributions of Positive Schemas for Understanding Child and Adolescent Life Satisfaction and Happiness," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 18(5), pages 1255-1274, October.
    6. Shan Jiang & Lin Wang & Yuhang Cheng, 2023. "Unrevealing the Mediating Mechanisms Between Material Deprivation and Children’s Life Satisfaction: Empirical Evidence from the International Survey of Children’s Well-Being," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 18(2), pages 893-914, April.
    7. Jacky C. K. Ng & Victor C. Y. Lau & Sylvia Xiahua Chen, 2020. "Why are Dispositional Enviers not Satisfied With Their Lives? An Investigation of Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Pathways Among Adolescents and Young Adults," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(2), pages 525-545, February.
    8. Denise Quinlan & Dianne A. Vella-Brodrick & Andrew Gray & Nicola Swain, 2019. "Teachers Matter: Student Outcomes Following a Strengths Intervention are Mediated by Teacher Strengths Spotting," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 20(8), pages 2507-2523, December.
    9. Anne Kennes & Johan Lataster & Mayke Janssens & Marianne Simons & Jennifer Reijnders & Nele Jacobs & Sanne Peeters, 2023. "Efficacy of a School-Based Mental Health Intervention Based on Mindfulness and Character Strengths Use Among Adolescents: a Pilot Study of Think Happy-Be Happy Intervention," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 24(2), pages 677-697, February.

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