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Increasing Middle School Students’ Life Satisfaction: Efficacy of a Positive Psychology Group Intervention

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  • Shannon Suldo
  • Jessica Savage
  • Sterett Mercer

Abstract

This study identified middle school students who were less than delighted with their lives (reported life satisfaction scores between 1 and 6 on a 7-point scale), and attempted to improve these students’ mental health via a 10-week group wellness-promotion intervention developed from prior applications of positive psychology research. Complete data at baseline, post-intervention, and 6-month follow-up was gathered from 55 sixth grade students who were randomly assigned to the intervention condition (n = 28) or wait-list control (n = 27). Repeated measures analyses of a propensity score matched sample of 40 participants indicated a significant group by time interaction for global life satisfaction from baseline to post-intervention. Specifically, life satisfaction of students in the intervention group increased significantly, while the control group declined during the same period (although this change was not statistically significant). The intervention group’s gains were maintained at follow-up, but were matched by similar gains for students in the control group. No effects of intervention group were identified in the indicators of affect or psychopathology. The improvements in life satisfaction evidenced by students in the intervention group during the first semester of middle school are important given the adjustment difficulties that often appear during this sensitive developmental period marked by biological and educational changes. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014

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  • Shannon Suldo & Jessica Savage & Sterett Mercer, 2014. "Increasing Middle School Students’ Life Satisfaction: Efficacy of a Positive Psychology Group Intervention," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 15(1), pages 19-42, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:15:y:2014:i:1:p:19-42
    DOI: 10.1007/s10902-013-9414-2
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Julie Seligson & E. Huebner & Robert Valois, 2003. "Preliminary Validation of the Brief Multidimensional Students' Life Satisfaction Scale (BMSLSS)," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 61(2), pages 121-145, February.
    2. Keiko Otake & Satoshi Shimai & Junko Tanaka-Matsumi & Kanako Otsui & Barbara Fredrickson, 2006. "Happy People Become Happier through Kindness: A Counting Kindnesses Intervention," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 7(3), pages 361-375, September.
    3. Peter Greenspoon & Donald Saklofske, 2001. "Toward an Integration of Subjective Well-Being and Psychopathology," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 54(1), pages 81-108, April.
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    3. Kathlyn M. Cherry & Brae Anne McArthur & Margaret N. Lumley, 2020. "A Multi-Informant Study of Strengths, Positive Self-Schemas and Subjective Well-Being from Childhood to Adolescence," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(6), pages 2169-2191, August.
    4. Robert F. Valois & Jelani C. Kerr & Michael P. Carey & Larry K. Brown & Daniel Romer & Ralph J. DiClemente & Peter A. Vanable, 2020. "Neighborhood Stress and Life Satisfaction: Is there a Relationship for African American Adolescents?," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 15(1), pages 273-296, March.
    5. Jesus Alfonso D. Datu & Xunyi Lin, 2022. "The Mental Health Benefits of kind University Climate: Perception of Kindness at University Relates to Longitudinal Increases in Well-Being," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 17(3), pages 1663-1680, June.
    6. Shiri Lavy, 2020. "A Review of Character Strengths Interventions in Twenty-First-Century Schools: their Importance and How they can be Fostered," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 15(2), pages 573-596, April.
    7. Ditzel, Loreto & Casas, Ferran & Torres-Vallejos, Javier & Reyes, Fernando & Alfaro, Jaime, 2022. "Children participating in after-school programs in Chile: Subjective well-being, satisfaction with free time use and satisfaction with the program," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    8. L. Lambert & H.-A. Passmore & N. Scull & I. Al Sabah & R. Hussain, 2019. "Wellbeing Matters in Kuwait: The Alnowair’s Bareec Education Initiative," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 143(2), pages 741-763, June.
    9. Keith J. Zullig & Robert F. Valois & Gerald R. Hobbs & Jelani C. Kerr & Daniel Romer & Michael P. Carey & Larry K. Brown & Ralph J. DiClemente & Peter A. Vanable, 2020. "Can a Multilevel STI/HIV Prevention Strategy for High Risk African American Adolescents Improve Life Satisfaction?," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(2), pages 417-436, February.
    10. Belén López-Pérez & Antonio Zuffianò, 2021. "Children’s and Adolescents’ Happiness Conceptualizations at School and their Link with Autonomy, Competence, and Relatedness," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 22(3), pages 1141-1163, March.
    11. Lauren H. Naples & Elizabeth D. Tuckwiller, 2021. "Taking Students on a Strengths Safari: A Multidimensional Pilot Study of School-Based Wellbeing for Young Neurodiverse Children," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-27, June.
    12. Kaplan, Deanna M. & deBlois, Madeleine & Dominguez, Violeta & Walsh, Michele E., 2016. "Studying the teaching of kindness: A conceptual model for evaluating kindness education programs in schools," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 160-170.
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