Some Factors Associated with Happiness in Healthy Brazilian Children and Adolescents: A Cross Sectional Self-Report...

Well-being and health promotion are measures capable of helping individuals with emotional and behavioral problems. Happiness is one of the components of Subjective Well-being (SWB), with actual results associated with Positive Psychology. Studies focusing on happiness during childhood and adolescence have increased in recent years. This study aimed to estimate the associations between happiness and spirituality in Brazilian children and adolescents using self-report assessments. A sociodemographic questionnaire, the Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS), the Spiritual Health and Life Orientation Measure (SHALOM), and the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) were administered to 487 healthy children and adolescents in Brazil. The analysis considered the SHS score a dependent variable in a hierarchical multiple regression model organized in blocks. The mean age was 11.4 years (SD = 1.94), and 50.4% were male. The personal (β = 0.237; p. ≤ 0001) and communal (β = 0.135; p ≤ 0.045) dimensions of spirituality were positively associated with happiness, as were having a religion (β = 0.323; p ≤ .001) and being spiritual but not religious (believing in something beyond human nature, such as a higher power) (β = 0.286; p ≤ .001). Age (β = - 0.109; p = 0.020) and depressive symptoms (β = - 0.272; p < .001) were negatively associated with happiness. This study highlights the importance of evaluating and, if necessary, improving the health and happiness of children and adolescents. The schools could evaluate satisfaction through periodic feedback from children, and a review of school structures and educational curricula may also be necessary.