Youth Well-being: Exploring Models and Instruments

Abstract

Well-being is a phenomenon widely studied in the health field. Specifically in Psychology, well-being has been studied from different perspectives ranging from the cognitive evaluation of one's own life to positive functioning at different levels. Considering the different perspectives of studying well-being, this study carried out a scoping review with the objective of mapping the main models and instruments used to evaluate the phenomenon in the adolescent population in the last five years. The publication search strategy used the Periodicals Portal of the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES), including articles in Portuguese, English and Spanish, peer-reviewed, complete in the databases, with samples between 12 and 18 years old. The main findings of this review indicate a plurality of well-being models that derive from five main approaches, namely subjective well-being, psychological well-being, quality of life, wellness and mixed approaches. The proliferation of well-being models can generate theoretical divergences and conflicting interpretations, which directly impact the generalization of data, compromising the development of health interventions and policies. Also noteworthy is the gap in studies that investigate gender disparities and the nuances of racial and ethnic identity in relation to well-being in adolescence. These gaps suggest the need for more inclusive research that is sensitive to the particularities of adolescents to promote a more complete and effective understanding of well-being at this crucial stage of development.