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Social Factors Explaining Children’s Subjective Happiness and Depressive Symptoms

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  • Lotta Uusitalo-Malmivaara
  • Juhani Lehto

Abstract

In this study happiness and depression in 737 12-year-old Finnish children were predicted by relationships with family members and other people, the number of close friends and their experiences of parental fighting and drinking. There were no differences in happiness between the genders, but the girls were more depressed than the boys. Low happiness was predicted by confidential family relationships and the number of close friends in both genders. High happiness was predicted by confidential family relationships and confidential relationships with other people in the girls, and confidential family relationships and the number of close friends in the boys. Depression was accounted for by poor family relationships, the number of close friends and parental fighting in the girls. In the boys, depression was related to poor family relationships and the number of close friends. Thus, the factors explaining happiness and depression were partly different and not necessarily interrelated. The results confirm that the correlates of well-being differ between the genders already at the age of 12 and the girls are more sensitive to family discord than the boys. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2013

Suggested Citation

  • Lotta Uusitalo-Malmivaara & Juhani Lehto, 2013. "Social Factors Explaining Children’s Subjective Happiness and Depressive Symptoms," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 111(2), pages 603-615, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:111:y:2013:i:2:p:603-615
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-012-0022-z
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Mark Holder & Ben Coleman, 2008. "The contribution of temperament, popularity, and physical appearance to children’s happiness," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 9(2), pages 279-302, June.
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    5. Lan Chaplin, 2009. "Please May I Have a Bike? Better Yet, May I Have a Hug? An Examination of Children’s and Adolescents’ Happiness," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 10(5), pages 541-562, October.
    6. Kaltiala-Heino, Riittakerttu & Marttunen, Mauri & Rantanen, Päivi & Rimpelä, Matti, 2003. "Early puberty is associated with mental health problems in middle adolescence," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 57(6), pages 1055-1064, September.
    7. E. Huebner, 2004. "Research on Assessment of Life Satisfaction of Children and Adolescents," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 66(1), pages 3-33, April.
    8. Mark Holder & Ben Coleman, 2009. "The Contribution of Social Relationships to Children’s Happiness," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 10(3), pages 329-349, June.
    9. Laura Desha & Jan Nicholson & Jenny Ziviani, 2011. "Adolescent Depression and Time Spent with Parents and Siblings," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 101(2), pages 233-238, April.
    10. Mark Holder & Andrea Klassen, 2010. "Temperament and Happiness in Children," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 11(4), pages 419-439, August.
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    2. Adel Tannous, 2018. "Prevalence of Childhood Depression: The Effects of Teacher-Students Relationship as Predictor Factors to Depressive Symptoms," Modern Applied Science, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 12(1), pages 1-9, January.
    3. Astrid Würtz Rasmussen & Leslie S. Stratton, 2016. "How distance to a non-resident parent relates to child outcomes," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 14(4), pages 829-857, December.
    4. Anne M. Gadermann & Martin Guhn & Kimberly A. Schonert-Reichl & Shelley Hymel & Kimberly Thomson & Clyde Hertzman, 2016. "A Population-Based Study of Children’s Well-Being and Health: The Relative Importance of Social Relationships, Health-Related Activities, and Income," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 17(5), pages 1847-1872, October.
    5. Leena Haanpää & Mirka Kuula & Mia Hakovirta, 2019. "Social Relationships, Child Poverty, and Children’s Life Satisfaction," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 8(2), pages 1-13, January.
    6. Munevver MertoÄŸlu, 2020. "Factors Affecting Happiness of School Children," Journal of Education and Training Studies, Redfame publishing, vol. 8(3), pages 10-20, March.
    7. Mahmut Kilic & Sevda Yaman, 2023. "Life Quality and Factors Affecting in Primary School Students: A Multivariate Analysis," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 16(4), pages 1503-1526, August.
    8. Roberto Baiocco & Valeria Verrastro & Lilybeth Fontanesi & Matteo Pio Ferrara & Jessica Pistella, 2019. "The Contributions of Self-Esteem, Loneliness, and Friendship to Children’s Happiness: The Roles of Gender and Age," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 12(4), pages 1413-1433, August.
    9. Yidong Tu & Shuxia Zhang, 2015. "Loneliness and Subjective Well-Being Among Chinese Undergraduates: The Mediating Role of Self-Efficacy," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 124(3), pages 963-980, December.

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