Adolescent Well-Being among School Students: A Descriptive Study Using the EPOCH Measure

Adolescence is a key period for building psychological strengths, yet school-based research has often focused on problems rather than positive functioning. This study described the level and profile of well-being among school students using the EPOCH measure, which assesses engagement, perseverance, optimism, connectedness, and happiness. A quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional survey was conducted with 106 school students aged 11 to 18 years (63.2% female; 71.7% in Grades 11-12), selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected through an online questionnaire and analysed using descriptive statistics and Cronbach's alpha. The overall well-being mean was 3.57 (SD = 0.75) on a 1-5 scale. Connectedness had the highest domain mean (M = 3.69), followed by happiness (M = 3.64), optimism (M = 3.60), and perseverance (M = 3.60), while engagement was the lowest (M = 3.31). The full measure showed excellent internal consistency (α = .920), and domain alphas ranged from .728 to .832. The findings suggest that students feel supported and positive about life but less often experience deep absorption in their activities. Schools may build on students' connectedness while designing learning experiences that foster engagement.