Sense of Happiness and Wellness Among Adolescents and Their School Environment

Happiness and health are crucial elements of adolescents' lives that significantly impact mental well-being and societal engagement. This article hypothesizes that a suitable school environment may be one of the components that can impact students' subjective feelings of happiness and health. This research aimed to determine the association between a negative school environment, such as experiencing bullying and feeling insecure at school, and students' happiness and health.

The study was conducted in 2023, surveying students in grades 7-10 from two Lithuanian cities and their districts. The study included 1992 students (females 50.2%) with a mean age of 14.53 ± 1.12.

It was observed that male students felt healthier and happier than females. Also, male students felt safer at school more often than females. A positive correlation was found between a student's feeling of safety at school and their happiness and health. Regression analysis revealed that a feeling of safety at school was the most significant positive factor associated with male students' sense of happiness and health. Also, the most important factors for females were a feeling of safety at school, bullying, and how often teachers stop bullying.

It was found that feelings of insecurity at school, experiences of bullying, and how often teachers stop bullying can be associated with students' subjective feelings of happiness and well-being. School environmental factors can affect students' happiness and well-being differently depending on gender. It is essential to focus on vulnerable student populations when creating preventive programs to enhance adolescents' sense of safety in schools.