Positive Youth Development, Mental Stress and Life Satisfaction in Middle School and High School Students in Portugal: Outcomes on Stress, Anxiety and Depression

Marina Carvalho; Cátia Branquinho; Barbara Moraes; Ana Cerqueira; Gina Tomé; Catarina Noronha; Tânia Gaspar; Nuno Rodrigues; Margarida Gaspar de Matos

doi:10.3390/children11060681

Positive Youth Development, Mental Stress and Life Satisfaction in Middle School and High School Students in Portugal: Outcomes on Stress, Anxiety and Depression

Children (Basel). 2024 Jun 3;11(6):681. doi: 10.3390/children11060681.

Authors

Marina Carvalho^{1

2

3}, Cátia Branquinho^{1

4}, Barbara Moraes¹, Ana Cerqueira^{1

4}, Gina Tomé¹, Catarina Noronha¹, Tânia Gaspar^{1

5}, Nuno Rodrigues⁶, Margarida Gaspar de Matos^{1

4

7}

Affiliations

¹ ISAMB/Environmental Health/Medical School, University of Lisbon, 1649-004 Lisboa, Portugal.
² Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Algarve, 8500-338 Portimão, Portugal.
³ Instituto Superior Manuel Teixeira Gomes, 8500-656 Portimão, Portugal.
⁴ Católica Research Centre for Psychological, Family and Social Well-Being, Faculdade de Ciências Humanas, University Católica Portuguesa, 1649-023 Lisbon, Portugal.
⁵ Life Sciences Department, University Centre of Lisboa, University Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias, 1749-024 Lisboa, Portugal.
⁶ Direção Geral de Estatísticas da Educação e Ciência, 1200-774 Lisboa, Portugal.
⁷ Applied Psychology Research Centre Capabilities and Inclusion, Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada, 1140-041 Lisboa, Portugal.

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.

Keywords: anxiety; depression; high school; life satisfaction; mental distress; middle school; positive youth development; stress; students.

Grants and funding

This study was developed with the support of the Portuguese Ministry of Education, in a partnership between the Directorate-General for Education and Science Statistics, the Directorate-General of Education, the National Program for the Promotion of School Success, the Aventura Social Team/ISAMB, the University of Lisbon (scientific coordinator), the Portuguese Psychologists Association and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, and designed under an optimising perspective. The research team was given a small grant to undertake the national survey and data analysis during the initial period of the complete study; no funding was received for conducting this specific study or to assist with the preparation of this specific manuscript.