Environmental correlates of wellbeing among final-year high school students

Abstract

In Australia there is widespread community concern about the wellbeing of adolescents, particularly at the important time of approaching the transition from school to post-school life. However, few studies have focused on the wellbeing of Australian Year 12 students. This paper reports on a study investigating wellbeing among 377 Year 12 students in three public high schools in eastern Australia. The study explored wellbeing in terms of environmental and personality variables and investigated whether the school setting provided environmental elements that enhance adolescent wellbeing in ways similar to those provided by employment for adult wellbeing. The results indicated that school contributed significantly to adolescent wellbeing by providing time structure, access to the wider society, and social contact. Personality variables were found to be significant predictors of life satisfaction and affective wellbeing. The findings have implications for the enhancement of environmental features that may optimise the wellbeing of adolescents at school.