Sense of Happiness and Wellness Among Adolescents and Their School Environment

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BACKGROUND: 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. METHODS: 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. RESULTS: 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. CONCLUSIONS: 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.