Happy Teens Are Healthy Teens
Teens that are happy are mentally healthier, according to a study conducted by Emily Shaffer-Hudkins of the University of South Florida, but that sense of well-being may also impact their physical health. The study offers unique insight into the relationship between mental health and physical health, offering the opportunity for physicians and mental health counselors to identify mental health issues and provide appropriate resolutions to prevent physical health problems later in life.
Shaffer-Hudkins explains that until now, research on teens concerning their mental health has been focused on poor mental health and how that impacts their physical health. Hers is the first research to focus on how happiness and well-being work to improve physical health in teens.
The study sampled more than 400 middle school students and had them complete a survey about their own feelings about mental state, asking them whether they were satisfied with their life, got excited about things, or felt strong and powerful. The survey also asked whether or not the teens ever felt negative emotions like guilt, sadness, and anxiety, as well as aggressive behavior and delinquency. They also responded to inquiries about their physical health.
As Shaffer-Hudkins explained in the report, “Findings from the current study underscore the importance of attending to positive wellness-focused indicators of mental health among youth. Subjective well-being is a significant, unique, and primary predictor of important physical health outcomes in youth and is more strongly associated with physical functioning than is psychopathology. Examining only psychopathology may lead to an underestimation of the relationship between mental health and physical health in young people.”
“The results showed that teens that felt better about their physical health were more likely to be happy, satisfied with life, excited, proud of themselves, and strong. Those who experienced more negative emotions such as loneliness and guilt or anxiety also reported feeling worse physically. The way teens assessed their own mental health was responsible for about 30 percent of their physical health response. Four of the five mental health measurements used in the study were unique predictors of physical health, with positive mental health indicators having a far greater affect than negative on overall physical health.
Shadra Bruce is a contributing writer for Mental Health News.