Indian Adolescents' Perspectives on Emotional Well‐Being: A Focus Group Study With a Community Sample

In India, adolescent poor mental health is a significant concern, with suicide being a leading cause of adolescent death. The Indian government is responding through policies and initiatives. Such actions to protect adolescent emotional well‐being could be enhanced by Indian adolescents' own accounts of what helps and harms their well‐being, and by drawing on culturally relevant theories of youth well‐being. This study aimed to elicit the perspectives of a community sample of Indian adolescents on factors that affect their emotional well‐being and to identify which well‐being theories best capture their experiences. Focus groups were conducted with participants ( n = 50) aged 13−16 years in schools in Karnataka, India. Participants were from both urban (40%) and rural (58%) locations, and all attended government‐aided schools. Data was analyzed using a form of inductive framework analysis. Dominant theories of well‐being were examined for the best fit to the data. Fifteen factors were identified as positively influencing adolescent emotional well‐being. Significant factors were “connections with others,” “engaging in hobbies,” and “feeling valued.” Dominant theories of well‐being do not fully account for all of the influential factors reported by adolescents. The Basic Psychological Needs Theory was the best fit to the data. These findings add to the growing body of research suggesting that culture significantly influences well‐being, highlighting the need for a localized approach, alongside furthering well‐being knowledge relating to adolescents in India. How findings can be used to drive policy and interventions in India is discussed.