scholarly journals Life Satisfaction and Character Strenghs in Ecuatorian Adolescents

Author(s):  
Paula Yépez-Tito ◽  
Marta Ferragut ◽  
Shally Cóndor-Guerrón ◽  
Maria J. Blanca

AbstractThere is empirical evidence that life satisfaction (LS) in adolescence is associated with adequate development and future well-being. Research into the factors underpinning LS can therefore help to promote healthier development of societies. The aim of this study was to extend knowledge about LS among adolescents in Ecuador, a Latin American country for which research on this topic is lacking. Specifically, we analyze the relationship between LS and character strengths, controlling for gender, age, socioeconomic status, and family structure. Participants were 659 adolescents (43.1% female) aged between 12 and 18 years who completed the Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale (SLSS) and the Values in Action Inventory of Strengths for Youth (VIA-Y). Their parents or legal guardians completed the Survey of Socioeconomic Stratification (SSES). Correlation analysis and regression modeling were performed. Results showed that LS was not related to age or socioeconomic status, but there was a significant association with gender and family structure, insofar as boys and adolescents living in intact families reported higher levels of LS. Overall, the majority of character strengths were positively related to LS. After eliminating overlap between strengths and controlling for sociodemographic variables, the strengths of hope, zest, love, and prudence significantly predicted LS. We discuss how these strengths, related to the cognitive component of well-being, may play a protective role against difficulties during adolescence. Character strengths-based interventions are proposed to promote healthy development in Ecuadorian adolescents.

2021 ◽  
pp. 026540752199075
Author(s):  
Emily F. Hittner ◽  
Claudia M. Haase

The present laboratory-based study investigated socioeconomic status (SES) as a moderator of the association between empathic accuracy and well-being among married couples from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. Empathic accuracy was measured using a performance-based measure of empathic accuracy for one’s spouse’s negative emotions during a marital conflict conversation. Aspects of well-being included well-being (i.e., positive affect, life satisfaction), ill-being (i.e., negative affect, anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms), and marital satisfaction. SES was measured using a composite score of income and education. Findings showed that SES moderated associations between empathic accuracy and well-being. Empathic accuracy was beneficial (for well-being and ill-being) or not harmful (for marital satisfaction) at low levels of SES. In contrast, empathic accuracy was not beneficial (for well-being and ill-being) or harmful (for marital satisfaction) at high levels of SES. Results were robust (controlled for age, gender, and race). Findings are discussed in light of interdependence vs. independence in low- vs. high-SES contexts and highlight the importance of socioeconomic context in determining whether empathic accuracy benefits well-being or not.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (22) ◽  
pp. 9597
Author(s):  
Gabriella Nagy-Pénzes ◽  
Ferenc Vincze ◽  
Éva Bíró

Mental disorders are common in adolescents, and for effective interventions we should be aware of their determinants. However, there are only a small number of studies investigating the combined effect of multiple factors. Therefore, our aim is to assess the impact of socioeconomic status, social support, and health behavior on adolescents’ mental well-being. A cross-sectional health survey of 1641 children was carried out in accordance with the study protocol of the Hungarian Health Behavior in School-aged Children survey. Multivariate multiple regression was used to analyze the main determinants of mental well-being. The boys’ mental well-being was favorable compared to girls; lower subjective family wealth was associated with lower life satisfaction and depressive mood. Life satisfaction was positively related to healthy eating, social support, and physical activity. Unhealthy eating, sedentary lifestyle, and lower social support were associated with higher depression scores. Higher social support reduces psychosomatic symptoms, while unhealthy eating and spending a lot of time in front of the computer increase them. Both social support and healthy lifestyle seem to be protective against mental health problems among adolescents, and thus interventions should focus on these factors regardless of the socioeconomic status of the participants, with special attention given to girls.


2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 8-26
Author(s):  
L.A. Golovey ◽  
M.D. Petrash ◽  
O.Y. Strizhitskaya ◽  
S.S. Savenysheva ◽  
I.R. Murtazina

The present paper considers daily hassles in different life domains, reveals their connections to the level of strain and perceived stress, investigates the role of psychological well-being and life satisfaction in the perception of the number of stressors and strain caused by stress. Methods: Inventory of daily stressors (Petrash et al.), Scale of perceived stress (Ababkov et al.), Psychological well-being scale (C. Ryff), Life satisfaction scale (E. Diener), a survey on satisfaction with different life domains. Sample: 334 adults aged 20—60 (118 males, 216 females). Results revealed hassles in all the life domains. Most pronounced hassles in women were those related to health, loneliness, competitiveness, job; most pronounced hassles in men were job-related, financial, health and family stressors. Perception of daily hassles was associated with an increase in the levels of stress overstrain and perceived stress. The number of stressors and the level of overstrain was higher in women. Psychological well-being, subjective well-being, and financial satisfaction were shown to be direct positive predictors of the number of perceived hassles and the level of overstrain.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Buyantungalag Battulga ◽  
Marc Reginald Benjamin ◽  
Hong Chen ◽  
Enkhmandakh Bat-Enkh

Background: Subjective well-being (SWB) has a protective role in mental health maintenance and is prone to change during short stressful moments, such as pregnancy. Longstanding research suggests that social support (SS) from the partner and family members of pregnant women directly or indirectly acts as a buffer against negative mental outcomes. For happier pregnancies, it is important to understand how SS and pregnancy affect the SWB.Objective: This review aims to examine the extended association of being pregnant and SS on the SWB of pregnant women.Methods: A systematic review was conducted in PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. Articles published in peer-reviewed journals were included regardless of the year and if they had assessed the impact of at least one SWB or SS outcome among healthy pregnant women. The tools of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute were used for quality assessment.Results: Thirty-four studies that assessed the domains of SWB measurements, such as happiness, quality of life (QoL), life satisfaction, positive and negative effects, and well-being, were included and its association with either pregnancy or SS was summarized. Variable results, such as life satisfaction, happiness, and mental component of QoL, were found to be high during pregnancy, but positive emotion and physical components of QoL had decreased. Almost universally, SS during pregnancy was found to have a positive association with all measurements of SWB.Conclusion: This study had found that, despite some arising trends, pregnancy itself does not necessarily have similar impacts on SWB across healthy pregnant women. However, SS had a significant effect on SWB.


Retos ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 44 ◽  
pp. 328-334
Author(s):  
Ana Margarida Martins Domingues ◽  
Jorge Manuel Folgado dos Santos ◽  
João Julio Matos Serrano ◽  
Marco Batista ◽  
João Manuel Duarte Petrica

The Theory of Self-Determination has been used as a theoretical model of support in several studies on motivation in Sport. In this sense, we realize that motivation is a topic to which researchers have devoted much of their time, however, when researching adapted sports, and the person with Intellectual and Developmental Difficulty we observe a shortage in research. This study aimed to verify the levels of self-determination and subjective well-being of athletes members of the Special Olympics of Portugal, and ii) to compare the variables under analysis according to gender. In this quantitative study participated 94 athletes of Adapted Sports, aged between 11 and 63 years (ẋ=32.61 ± SD=13.8) of both genders, competitors of individual and collective sports. The monitoring instruments used were Behavioral Regulation in Sport Questionnaire (BRSQ), Basic Psychological Needs Exercise Scale (BPNES), Life Satisfaction Scale (SWLS) and Positive and Negative Attachment Scale (PANAS). Data analysis was based on the verification of the internal consistency of the scales applied through the calculation of alpha and Cronbach, descriptive analysis of data and application for gender comparison through the nonparametric test U Mann-Whitney, as well as a linear regression, meeting a significance level of 0.05. As a result, we observed that the satisfaction of basic psychological needs and motivation predict good levels of life satisfaction also of positive attachment. We also found statistically significant differences in life satisfaction and negative attachments when comparing gender outcomes. Resumen. La Teoría de la Autodeterminación se ha utilizado como modelo teórico de apoyo en varios estudios sobre la motivación en el Deporte. En este sentido, nos damos cuenta de que la motivación es un tema al que los investigadores han dedicado gran parte de su tiempo, sin embargo, a la hora de investigar deportes adaptados, y la persona con Dificultad Intelectual y de Desarrollo observamos una escasez en la investigación. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo verificar los niveles de autodeterminación y bienestar subjetivo de los atletas miembros de las Olimpiadas Especiales de Portugal, y ii) comparar las variables bajo análisis según género. En este estudio cuantitativo participaron 94 deportistas de Deportes Adaptados, con edades entre 11 y 63 años (ẋ = 32,61 ± DE = 13,8) de ambos sexos, competidores de deportes individuales y colectivos. Los instrumentos de seguimiento utilizados fueron el Cuestionario de Regulación Conductual en el Deporte (BRSQ), la Escala de Ejercicio de Necesidades Psicológicas Básicas (BPNES), la Escala de Satisfacción con la Vida (SWLS) y la Escala de Apego Positivo y Negativo (PANAS). El análisis de los datos se basó en la verificación de la consistencia interna de las escalas aplicadas mediante el cálculo de alfa y Cronbach, análisis descriptivo de los datos y aplicación para la comparación de género mediante la prueba no paramétrica U Mann-Whitney, así como una regresión lineal, cumpliendo un nivel de significancia de 0.05. Como resultado, observamos que la satisfacción de las necesidades psicológicas básicas y la motivación predicen buenos niveles de satisfacción con la vida también del apego positivo. También encontramos diferencias estadísticamente significativas en la satisfacción con la vida y los apegos negativos al comparar los resultados de género.


Author(s):  
Tayyab Rashid ◽  
Martin Seligman

Positive psychology interventions applied in diverse clinical settings and tackling complex clinical issues are advancing the knowledge base of psychotherapy and health outcomes. Positive psychotherapy (PPT) is based primarily on two major theories: Seligman’s PERMA (Positive emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment) conceptualization of well-being and character strengths. PPT also operates on three assumptions regarding the nature, cause, course, and treatment of specific behavioral patterns: (a) inherent capacity for growth, (b) the authenticity of strengths compared to symptoms, and (c) the role of positives in fostering a of the therapeutic relationship. The notion of happiness espoused in PPT is much more than the sum of its components that can be pursued simultaneously with each individually association with life satisfaction.


2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arndt Büssing ◽  
Daniela Rodrigues Recchia ◽  
Rudolf Hein ◽  
Thomas Dienberg

Abstract Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, most people had to cope with the restrictions of the lockdown, leaving them to their fears, insecurity and isolation. On the other hand, due to the unexpected ‘extra time’ there was room for new experiences and for personal reflections on what is essential in life, to perceive nature and relations more consciously etc. We, therefore, intended to analyze perceived changes of attitudes and behaviors during the time of lockdown, and whether these perceptions would contribute to personal wellbeing during the pandemic. Methods An anonym cross-sectional online survey was performed for data collection, using standardized questionnaires, i.e., the WHO-Five Well-being Index (WHO-5), Brief Multidimensional Life Satisfaction Scale (BMLSS), Awe/Gratitude scale (GrAw-7), and the newly developed Perceived Changes Questionnaire (PCQ). Results Within the number of respondents (n = 1277), women were predominating (67.5%). Participants’ mean age was 50.9 ± 14.9 years. Exploratory factor analyses showed that the 24-item Perceived Changes Questionnaire differentiated five factors that would account for 61% of variance: (1) Nature/Silence/Contemplation (Cronbach’s alpha = .87), (2) Spirituality (Cronbach’s alpha = .83), (3) Relationships (Cronbach’s alpha = .80), (4) Reflection on life (Cronbach’s alpha = .74), (5) Digital media usage (Cronbach’s alpha = .74). Strongest changes were observed for Relationships and Nature/Silence/Contemplation. Perceived changes were stronger among older persons, among persons with higher wellbeing, and among those who relied on their faith as a resource. These changes were predicted best by a person’s perception of wondering awe in distinct situations with subsequent feelings of gratitude. Stepwise regression analyzes revealed that participants’ wellbeing was explained best by low perceived burden and high life satisfaction (R2 = .46). Awe/gratitude, perceived changes in terms of Nature/Silence/Contemplation and low Reflections of live are further variables that would predict a person’s wellbeing among the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions During the Corona pandemic, people tried to find ways to adapt to the outcomes of the restrictions. The perceived changes of attitudes and behaviors can be interpreted in terms of a reappraisal strategy. These can be measured with the extended version of the PCQ which was found to have good quality indices and a plausible factor structure. The reported changes contribute to persons’ wellbeing only to some extend, indicating that they represent an independent quality of relevance in peoples’ life.


2021 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-123
Author(s):  
Diena Dwidienawati ◽  
David Tjahjana ◽  
Dyah Gandasari ◽  
M. Faisal

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is on human health and other aspects of human life. The government's most common action to prevent the spread of the infection is mobility restriction. The implication of this mobility restriction is the limitation of social activities can be done. Mobility restriction was implemented in Jakarta and its surrounding cities and impacted more than 20 million people. The previous study showed that mobility restriction impacted people's happiness and life satisfaction. After one year of COVID-19 measure implementation, is the adaption effect applied? This study aims to see whether, after one year of the COVID-19 pandemic, people are starting to adapt, and their well-being level is improving compared to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey was conducted in February - March 2021. Happiness and satisfaction with life were measured using the Subjective Happiness Scale and Satisfaction with Life Scale. The reliability and validity of measures were analyzed with SPSS. The study reveals that the participant's happiness level was only slightly happy, and the level of satisfaction was only slightly satisfied. The participants claim that their happiness has deteriorated during mobility restriction (58%). Fifty-eight percent felt their satisfaction has deteriorated. The student's group is shown as the most impacted group in their happiness and life satisfaction scale.


Author(s):  
Fernando Reyes Reyes ◽  
Jaime Alfaro Inzunza ◽  
Jorge Varela Torres ◽  
Javier Guzmán Piña

El bienestar subjetivo es un aspecto importante del desarrollo de niños, niñas y adolescentes. Estudios previos han evidenciado que el bienestar subjetivo presenta diferencias según sexo, advirtiéndose en diversos países, que las mujeres presentan un puntaje menor respecto al de los hombres, usando diferentes escalas. Sin embargo, el sentido de esta diferencia no siempre se presenta a favor de los hombres. El presente estudio analiza los datos de dos muestras de adolescentes chilenos de séptimo grado de educación básica en escuelas urbanas (N1=776, N2=336), usando los datos del International Survey of Children´s Well-being (ISCWeB). Se comparan los puntajes de dos medidas de bienestar subjetivo: Student´s Life Satisfaction Scale (SLSS) y Overall Life Satisfaction (OLS) como una medida global de bienestar subjetivo y se presentan los resultados de ambas muestras en el marco de los demás países que integran el estudio internacional. Los resultados señalan que en Chile los niños presentan un mayor bienestar subjetivo que las niñas, similar a lo que se aprecia en algunos países desarrollados. Se discuten los resultados en función de los antecedentes presentados que podrían explicar dichas diferencias en favor de un grupo o de otro.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 3
Author(s):  
Gislene Farias de Oliveira ◽  
Thércia Lucena Grangeiro Maranhão ◽  
Hermes Melo Teixeira Batista ◽  
Symara Abrantes Albuquerque de Oliveira Cabral

Life Satisfaction is a significant indicator of subjective well-being. It is assessed as a single, global measure or as a reference related to important areas of life, such as family and work. Assessing life satisfaction in people with special needs and verifying how this construct correlates with demographic variables such as gender, age and schooling, for example, was the objective of this study. Data collection was performed through a questionnaire with a Life Satisfaction Scale. The sample consisted of 48 people from Juazeiro do Norte in Ceará, aged 14-71, mostly male (60.4%). The results revealed that in 70.9% of respondents believe that their life is close to ideal in most aspects and that 72.9% agree that they are satisfied with their lives as it is. 41.7% reported that the conditions of their lives are excellent. Men said they were more satisfied with life than women, as well as older people and more religious people. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the loss of certain abilities, such as walking for example, does not seem to cause great changes in the feeling of life satisfaction in the studied population. 


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