Roundtable Presentation 6th World Congress on Positive Psychology 2019

Supporting Children’s Subjective Well-Being: A Mixed Methods Investigation Of How Perceptions Of Classroom Support Contribute To Students’ Positive Mental Health (#225)

Emily J. Wingate 1 , Shannon M. Suldo 1
  1. University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States

Educators are increasingly compelled to consider pathways through which children’s wellness can be fostered. More is known about correlates of adults’ and adolescents’ subjective well-being (SWB) than children’s SWB; a better understanding of predictors might reveal environmental factors to target in promotion programs.

Methods. Participants included 179 fourth and fifth grade students in a southeastern U.S. state. A mixed methods approach with an explanatory design was adopted to investigate both the relationship between perceptions of social support and students’ SWB, and examples of how support is demonstrated in the classroom.

Results. All correlations between support variables and children’s SWB were positive and significant (p < .05). Two-level hierarchical models revealed Classmate Support significantly predicted students’ SWB (b = .93, p <.001). In a model including all Teacher and Classmate Support dimensions, Classmate Instrumental (b = .44, p = .028) and Emotional Support (b = .75, p = .003) and Teacher Emotional Support (b = .84, p = .028) were identified as significant predictors. Qualitative results highlighted the salience of forms of Instrumental and Emotional Support in discussions of Classroom Support.

Conclusions. Findings point to building supportive relationships as likely a crucial target in prevention efforts aimed at enhancing students’ SWB.