The subjective well-being of adolescents in Russian secondary school: a cross-sectional study

The subjective well-being (SWB) of students has become a concern for educators and education policymakers worldwide. Previous studies have suggested that SWB declines during adolescence, but this conclusion is mostly based on general SWB analyses. In our study, we aimed to examine age-related characteristics of SWB in schools through the lens of the multicomponent model of SWB in school, namely satisfaction with school, satisfaction with the school environment, affect toward school, collaboration with and hostility toward classmates, and subjective physical well-being. The sample consisted of 1,977 students aged 11–17 years (M = 13.2, SD = 1.46), in Grades 5–9. The results indicate significant age-related and gender differences in satisfaction with school, collaboration with and hostility toward classmates, and subjective physical well-being. These findings provide insights for educators and school psychologists and can be used for creating age- and gender-specific interventions.