Psychological Well-Being among Adolescents and Youth

Abstract

Today, the construct of well‐being has assumed increasing importance in various areas of psychology by identifying several factors of personal order (personality dispositions, self‐esteem, perception of control), interpersonal (social support), and socioeconomic (income, level of education), variables that can influence well‐being to a greater or lesser extent. Research on the construct has been derived from two influential approaches or perspectives: the hedonic approach, which focuses on pleasure and happiness and on the achievement of well-being through the satisfaction of one’s desires, and the eudaimonic approach, according to which well-being is obtained by fulfilling one’s potential in the pursuit of complex and meaningful goals (Ryan & Deci, 2001). The hedonic perspective focuses on pleasure, happiness, and achieving well-being through satisfying one’s desires (Diener, 2000). Instead, the eudaimonic perspective implies a continuous construction, development, and cultivation of individual skills (Ryan & Deci, 2001).