DOI:10.6129/CJP.202306_65(2).0001
中華心理學刊 民 112，65 卷，2 期，81-108
Chinese Journal of Psychology 2023, Vol.65, No.2, 81-108
Hsin-Hui Lu(Department of Psychology, Chung Shan Medical University; Clinical Psychological Room, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital); Zheng-Ying Wu(Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University); Yu-Wen Chen(Department of Social Work, National Taiwan University); Feng-Ming Tsao(Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University)
Abstract
The structure of well-being in adults comprises two prominent components: subjective well-being (SWB) and psychological well-being (PWB). SWB has its roots in hedonism, while PWB has roots in eudaimonia. Does the structure of these two components of well-being differ in school-aged children and young adolescents? Is the trend of well-being structure related to gender and the social ecological systems that are crucial for mental development during childhood? This study aimed to investigate the developmental trends of the structure of well-being in children from school age to adolescence, and to assess the relationship between gender and various domains of children’s life with well-being. Data for the study was collected from 1,230 8-year-olds (third graders), 1,337 10-year-olds (fifth graders), and 1,511 12-year-olds (seventh graders) as part of the third wave of the International Survey of Children’s Well-Being (ISCWeB) between September 2017 and March 2018. The study analyzed SWB, PWB, and life satisfaction in social domains, as well as examined the effects of gender and age. The data was analyzed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and measurement invariance analysis. The results of EFA for 10- and 12-year-old children showed a two-factor model of well-being structure, with one factor being “positive” (including items from life satisfaction and positive affect of the SWB subscale, and items from the PWB subscale), and the other factor being “negative” (including items from negative affect of the SWB subscale). Measurement invariance analysis showed that the SWB was similar in 10-year-old and 12-year- old children, but the PWB was lower in 12-year-olds compared to 10-year-olds. Life satisfaction in social domains decreased in boys from 8 to 12 years of age, while it followed an inverted U shape in girls, peaking at 10 years old. All the ecological systems (family, friendship, school, and community) were positively related to children’s well-being, with the strongest relationship being between family and well-being. This study not only revealed the developmental paths of social ecological systems and children’s factors (cognition and identity) in relation to children’s well-being, but also provided implications for improving children’s mental health.
Keywords: early adolescence, International Survey of Children’s Well-Being, middle childhood, subject/psychological well- being, social ecological systems
