Do I Need to Be Positive to Be Happy? Considering the Role of Self-Esteem, Life Satisfaction, and Psychological Distress in Portuguese Adolescents' Subjective Happiness

The effect of positive parenting on adolescent life satisfaction: the mediating role of parent-adolescent attachment

This study explores the impact of positive parenting on adolescents' life satisfaction and the mediating role of parent-adolescent attachment, based on the family systems theory and attachment theory. The sample included 5,047 adolescents (2,353 males, 2,694 females) with a mean age of 16.65 (SD = 1.21) from Henan Province, China. This study used the Positive Parenting Scale, the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment and the Satisfaction with Life Scale to survey 5,047 adolescents. The results showed that: (1) father's positive parenting positively predicted adolescent life satisfaction, while mother's positive parenting did not significantly predict adolescent life satisfaction; (2) Father-adolescent attachment and mother-adolescent attachment play a mediating role in the relationship between fathers' positive parenting, mothers' positive parenting, and adolescent life satisfaction, respectively; (3) Differences in the mechanisms of father's positive parenting and mother's positive parenting on adolescent life satisfaction. Among them, mothers' positive parenting positively predicts mother-adolescent attachment, which in turn affects adolescent life satisfaction. On the other hand, fathers' positive parenting can influence adolescent life satisfaction through two pathways: by positively predicting father-adolescent attachment and by positively predicting mother-adolescent attachment. The research findings indicate that father's and mother's positive parenting have different direct effects on adolescent's life satisfaction, and both can indirectly influence adolescent life satisfaction through the mediating variables of father-adolescent and mother-adolescent attachment. These findings have important theoretical and practical implications for promoting family education and adolescent psychological well-being.

Relationship between subjective well-being and depressive disorders: Novel findings of cohort variations and demographic heterogeneities

This paper uses a large-scale nationally representative dataset, the Chinese General Social Survey, to examine the relationship between subjective well-being and depressive disorders. Statistical results indicate that higher levels of subjective well-being help decrease perceived depression. Robustness checks are carried out using different types of explanatory and dependent variables, various regression models, penalized machine learning methods, instrumental variable approaches, and placebo tests, all of which lend further credence to the above findings. Based on it, heterogeneities in the relationship between subjective well-being and self-rated mental disorders are explored. In respect of variations in age cohorts, it is found that the absolute values of happiness's estimated coefficients are smaller in the 20-30 and 30-40 age groups, while that in the 40-50 age group increase substantially. In older cohorts, the estimates remain at higher levels while fluctuating to some degree. Furthermore, the significantly negative interaction between happiness and age proves that age amplifies subjective well-being's effect on perceived depressive disorders. With age increasing, the impact of happiness on reducing perceived depression tends to be stronger. Therefore, for older people, subjective well-being plays a more important role in suppressing self-rated depression. Heterogeneities of the relationship between happiness and perceived depressive disorders in subgroups with different demographic characteristics are also investigated. It is found that the negative correlation between subjective well-being and self-rated depression is stronger among those with higher educational levels, living in urban areas, being members of the Communist Party of China, having pensions, and owning more housing assets. However, gender, ethnic identity, religious belief, and marital status exert no significant moderating effects.

Self-critical perfectionism mediates the relationship between self-esteem and satisfaction with life in Lebanese university students

BACKGROUND

The psychological mechanisms that underlie the relationship between self-esteem and life satisfaction remain unclear and not well-understood. We sought through the present study to test the hypothesis that perfectionism plays a significant mediating role in the association between self-esteem and satisfaction with life among Lebanese university students.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was performed in a sample of 363 students (61.7% females, mean age = 22.65 ± 3.48 years). Three research instruments were used: satisfaction with life scale, Rosenberg self-esteem scale and big three perfectionism scale.

RESULTS

Higher self-esteem was significantly associated with lower self-critical perfectionism (Beta = - 0.47), whereas higher self-critical perfectionism was significantly associated with lower satisfaction in life (Beta = - 0.29). Finally, higher self-esteem was significantly and directly associated with higher satisfaction with life (Beta = 0.48).

CONCLUSION

The present preliminary findings point to the role of self-critical perfectionism as a buffer between self-esteem and satisfaction with life, suggesting the roles of self-esteem and perfectionism as promising avenues for promoting satisfaction with life in adolescent students.

Single-Item Happiness Measure Features Adequate Validity Among Adolescents

Background

Happiness is becoming increasingly relevant in recent research, including adolescents. Many studies are using the single-item measure for adolescent happiness, however, its validity is not well known. We aimed to examine the validity of this measure among adolescents in three countries from distinct European regions - Eastern (Lithuania), Southern (Portugal), and Western (Scotland).

Materials and Methods

The analysis included data from Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study from three countries and three last surveys (2009/10, 2013/14, and 2017/18). The total sample comprised 47,439 schoolchildren. For validity, the indicators reflecting subjective health, life satisfaction, quality of life, well-being, social support, health complaints, bullying, and self-directed violence were assessed. The calculations were conducted in the total sample and by gender, age, survey year, and country.

Results

The different indicators of concurrent and convergent validity revealed consistent correlations with happiness, with better well-being, health, and subjective perceptions being related to higher happiness. Meanwhile, health complaints, bullying behaviors, and self-directed violence were related to lower happiness. The subgroup differences were consistent across gender, age groups, countries, and survey rounds. The extent of differences was more expressed among girls.

Conclusion

The single item for adolescent happiness measurement features a consistent pattern of validity concerning indicators of concurrent and convergent validity. Higher self-reported happiness is associated with better mental and physical health and well-being, and less expressed negative factors (complaints, bullying, and self-directed violence). In addition, among girls the correlations tend to be stronger than boys.

Self-Esteem Is Independent Factor and Moderator of School-Related Psychosocial Determinants of Life Satisfaction in Adolescents

Our aim was to investigate the impact of the school psychosocial environment, including students’ general attitude towards the school, perception of support from teachers and classmates as well as individual psychosocial factors including self-esteem and loneliness on life satisfaction (LS). Four repeated cross-sectional online questionnaire surveys were carried out between 2011 and 2014, inviting all students in one Hungarian high school. Health status and behaviour were assessed by the Hungarian version of the HBSC questionnaire. Results from the surveys were pooled for analysis (N = 3310 students). Heteroskedastic regression estimating robust variance was used to identify potential determinants of LS. Family wealth perceived to be well-off, self-esteem, and being perceived as a good student were identified to be the most important significant positive contributing factors of LS. Perceived good relations with classmates and teachers and an overall positive attitude to school had smaller but still significant positive effects on LS. Self-esteem was a significant moderator for the effect of perceived difficulty of schoolwork, relation with classmates, and gender. This paper shows that self-esteem is not only an independent factor but also a modifier of some school-related variables on LS. The complex interplay among school-related and individual potential determinants of LS should be taken into account in future research by controlling for their interactions.

Measuring Happiness in Adolescent Samples: A Systematic Review

Background: Happiness is a phenomenon that relates to better mental and physical health and even longevity. There has been an increase in surveys assessing subjective well-being as well as happiness, one of the well-being components that reflect one’s feelings or moods. Happiness is mostly measured in adult samples. There is a lack of an overview of the tools used to evaluate adolescent happiness, so this paper aimed to review them. Methods: A literature search was performed in the PubMed and PsycArticles databases (2010–2019). In total, 133 papers met the eligibility criteria for this systematic review. Results: The results are grouped according to the type of measure, single or multiple items, that was used in a study. Almost half of the studies (64 of 133) evaluated subjective happiness using single-item measures. The most commonly used scales were the 4-item Subjective Happiness Scale and the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire. Among the 133 articles analyzed, 18 reported some validation procedures related to happiness. However, in the majority of cases (14 studies), happiness was not the central phenomenon of validation, which suggests a lack of happiness validation studies. Conclusions: Finally, recommendations for future research and for the choice of happiness assessment tools are presented.

Psychological Issues among Spanish Adolescents and Young People when Coming out of the Closet to Their Families

Some social settings may make the process of 'coming out' more difficult for gay males and lesbian females, and the decision to do so may be even more problematic for adolescents and young people. As a result, some may choose to hide their sexual orientation, leading to emotional suffering. This study aims to analyse the differences in perceived stress, life satisfaction, happiness, and psychological distress experienced by both coming out and closeted young people and teens. The sample included a total of 228 Spanish young people aged 16-23 years old (M = 19.69, S.D. = 1.81) who identified themselves as gay or lesbian (73.2% women). The results of this study show that people in the closet show greater psychological distress (anxiety and depressive symptomatology) and perceived stress. Although perceived stress is positively related to psychological distress in both groups, the correlation is higher in the closeted group. This suggests that perceived stress has more serious consequences on the mental health of the closeted group than of the 'coming out' group. To sum up, the results show the importance of family support for gay and lesbian young people.

Linking Childhood Maltreatment and Psychological Symptoms: The Role of Social Support, Coping Styles, and Self-Esteem in Adolescents

Psychological symptoms are common among adolescents in China, which are associated with various negative consequences. There has been a pressing need for additional research of factors responsible for the occurrence of psychological symptoms during this developmental period, among which childhood maltreatment, personal coping style, one's levels of social support, and self-esteem deserve our attention. The association between childhood maltreatment and psychological symptoms is evident; however, the possible mediating effect of the other three factors mentioned above remains unclear. Hence, the current study aims to investigate the possible mediating roles of social support, coping style, and self-esteem in the relationship between childhood maltreatment and the development of psychological symptoms among adolescents. An adolescent-based health survey was conducted between 2013 and 2014 in 15 schools in China. A total of 9,704 students (aged 11-19 years) were enrolled and measures on childhood maltreatment, social support, coping styles, self-esteem, and psychological symptoms were completed. It was found that childhood maltreatment was positively correlated with psychological symptoms and negative coping styles, and negatively correlated with social support, positive coping styles, and self-esteem (p < .001). Social support, coping styles, and self-esteem mediated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and psychological symptoms. The estimated effect of childhood maltreatment on the occurrence of psychological symptoms could be explained by the mediation of social support, positive coping styles, negative coping styles, and self-esteem, whose ratio of roles came to 13.8%, 7.5%, 20.9%, and 10.3%, respectively. These findings indicate a need to promote social support, self-esteem, and positive coping styles, and decrease the level of negative coping styles, to markedly reduce the impact of psychological symptoms of childhood maltreatment among adolescents.

The Effect of Cognitive Behavioral Group Therapy on Children's Self-Esteem

(1) Background: Self-esteem plays an important role in developing emotional resilience and wellbeing in children. Yet, there has been little related research on Cognitive Behavioral Group Therapy on this topic. Our aims were to assess the effect of the Child Self-Esteem CBT (CSE-CBT) protocol on children's self-esteem in grades five and six; to assess the effect of the CSE-CBT protocol on the therapeutic process; and to explore the feasibility of delivering the CSE-CBT protocol in a school setting. (2) Methods: Eighty elementary school children in grades five and six, divided into four intervention and four control groups, attended 12 structured sessions using the CSE-CBT protocol, led by specially trained teachers. The children completed questionnaires to assess their self-esteem at the beginning and at the end of the study, and answered weekly questionnaires that assessed therapeutic process. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to analyze the data. (3) Results: The CSE-CBT protocol had a significant effect on improving children's self-esteem over the course of the study, regardless of the children's working alliance with the teacher leading the group. (4) Conclusions: The findings suggest that the CSE-CBT protocol has the potential to benefit children's self-esteem and indicate that school teachers can be trained to administer the CBT-protocol.

Childhood abuse and borderline personality disorder features in Chinese undergraduates: the role of self-esteem and resilience

BACKGROUND

Although childhood abuse is considered to be related to borderline personality disorder (BPD), few studies have elaborated on the mediating role of self-esteem and resilience in it. Thus, the present study aimed to explore the potential mediating role of resilience and self-esteem between childhood abuse and BPD.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted with 4034 college students in Anhui Province, China. Participants were asked to complete Chinese versions of the following instruments: Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF), Mclean Screening Instrument for Borderline Personality Disorder (MSI-BPD), Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the mediation effects.

RESULTS

Resilience and self-esteem were found to be mediators of all three types of childhood abuse (emotional abuse, physical abuse and sexual abuse) when the types were examined separately; however, when all three types of childhood abuse were entered into the model simultaneously, neither the indirect effects nor direct effects of physical abuse or sexual abuse were found to be significant, only the association between emotional abuse and BPD features was partially mediated by resilience and self-esteem.

CONCLUSIONS

Self-esteem and resilience mediate the links between childhood abuse and BPD features, and emotional abuse is uniquely associated with BPD features.

Expanding Social, Psychological, and Physical Indicators of Urbanites' Life Satisfaction toward Residential Community: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis

Attention on, and interest in, life satisfaction has increased worldwide. However, research on life satisfaction focused toward the urban dwellers' residential community is mainly from western countries, and the limited research from China is solely focused on the geriatric population via a narrowly constrained research perspective. This study, therefore, aimed to investigate urbanites' life satisfaction toward their community, combining the psychological (behavioral community engagement, mental state of flow, and cognitive community identity), physical (PREQIs-perceived residential environment quality indicators: e.g., green area), and social perspectives (social capital). The proposed conceptual model was tested on a regionally representative sample of 508 urban community residents in the city of Chengdu, Sichuan province, China. Data were analyzed via a structure equation modelling approach in AMOS software. Findings suggested that all of the psychological, physical and social factors contributed to a prediction of life satisfaction. Specifically, social capital mediated the path from community engagement and flow to life satisfaction, and community identity mediated the path from flow experience and green area to life satisfaction. Additionally, social capital contributed to predict life satisfaction through its influence on community identity. Findings provide suggestions for urban designers and policymakers to focus on creating an urban community equipped with green area, which helps to promote physical activities that are flow-productive, to enhance residents' identification to their residential community and, therefore, increase life satisfaction.