Cross‐national and longitudinal evidence for a rapid decline in life satisfaction in adolescence

Abstract

Introduction: While several studies have documented a declining-with-age trend in life satisfaction in adolescence, cross-national and nationally representative longitudinal evidence is needed to establish the normative trajectory of life satisfaction during this critical developmental period. Methods: The Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) study of 10-16year-olds included the Cantril Ladder life satisfaction measure in surveys of 43 countries between 2001 and 2014 (N = 752,620, 51% females). The UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS) was used to assess within-person changes in life satisfaction from age 10 to 15 years among young people sampled between 2009 and 2018 (N = 8952, Obs. = 30,278). Results: Life satisfaction decreased by 0.61 SDs on average from ages 10 to 16 in the HBSC sample. A statistically significant decreasing-with-age trend was observed in each of the 43 countries examined. Females experienced a more pronounced decline in life satisfaction than males (0.75 SD vs. 0.46) on average, and a significantly larger decrease in life satisfaction among females was identified in 38 of 43 countries examined. Longitudinal analysis of adolescents from the UKHLS sample replicated this pattern: life satisfaction declined significantly by 0.5 SD between the ages of 10 and 15 and this decline was found to be steeper for females (0.76 SD) than for males (0.23SD). Conclusions:The study findings enhance our understanding of the lifespan dynamics of life satisfaction and point to a potential universal decline in life satisfaction in adolescence. Understanding the developmental processes underlying this phenomenon will now be crucial.

Civic engagement and mental health trajectories in Norwegian youth

“…With males and females differing to a very small extent on civic engagement (only on social conscience), the gender difference in mental health cannot be primarily attributed to their differential engagement in civic activities. In a recent cross-national study that observed a sharper decrease in life satisfaction with age (between 10 and 16) among females vs. males, determining factors, such as appearance concern, school pressures, screen time, and technology usage were proposed, with the argument that these factors tend to have larger effects on female adolescents’ mental health ( 55 ).…”

Exploring the Relationship between Mindfulness and Life Satisfaction in Adolescents: The Role of Social Competence and Self-Esteem

“…Despite these limitations, we think that our study deserves scholarly interest in that it emphasizes the roles of self-esteem and social competence in the relationship between mindfulness and life satisfaction among adolescents. As uttered before, although the rapid decline in life satisfaction in adolescence is considered a developmental phenomenon (Daly, 2022 ; Goldbeck et al, 2007 ), recent years have witnessed an increased interest in uncovering the factors contributing to life satisfaction in this period (Ramos-Díaz et al, 2019 ). Although we cannot claim causality in our study, the variables in our study cover unique elements that should be encouraged in relation to life satisfaction in adolescence.…”

“…Relevant research reported that increased life satisfaction contributes to mental health (Proctor et al, 2017 ). The ups and downs in adolescence can lead to changes in perceived life satisfaction (Leung & Leung, 1992 ), and a rapid decrease in life satisfaction in adolescence (Daly, 2022 ) is considered a developmental phenomenon (Goldbeck et al, 2007 ). Indeed, there is an increasing interest in identifying the psychological factors contributing to life satisfaction in this period (Ramos-Díaz et al, 2019 ), motivating the starting point of the current research.…”

Association between School Contexts and the Development of Subjective Well-Being during Adolescence: A Context-Sensitive Longitudinal Study of Life Satisfaction and School Satisfaction

“…The Stage-Environment-Fit model posits that misfit between developmental needs and a secondary school environment might hinder adolescent development (Eccles et al, 1993 ). Although a decline in life satisfaction during secondary school has been found (Casas & González-Carrasco, 2019 ; Daly, 2022 ), it is unclear whether that decline is associated with the transition to secondary school, as life satisfaction involves many life facets. To understand whether the transition to secondary school has a negative impact on adolescents’ subjective well-being, it seems necessary to consider not only life satisfaction in general, but also school satisfaction, particularly as it ties closer to school contexts.…”

“…Research has found that positive affect decreased and negative affect increased during secondary school (Griffith et al, 2021 ; Grills-Taquechel et al, 2010 ; Meyer & Schlesier, 2022 ). Most studies have found that life satisfaction decreased during secondary school (Casas & González-Carrasco, 2019 ; Daly, 2022 ; Proctor et al, 2009 ). Although a few studies have demonstrated that life satisfaction increased during the middle to later periods of adolescence, the different findings might be associated with different stages of adolescence (Salmela-Aro & Tuominen-Soini, 2010 ; Steinmayr et al, 2019 ; Willroth et al, 2021 ).…”