Source: VU.nl
The study shows that wellbeing during adolescence, between the ages of 14 and 16, is associated with various aspects of later life, including mental health, personality, sleep, and self-rated physical health, up to twenty years later.
Growing attention to mental health
The mental health of young people has received increasing attention in recent years. Many adolescents experience pressure from school, social media, and their social lives. At the same time, relatively little was known about the long-term implications of feeling well—or less well—during the teenage years.
To gain a better understanding of these long-term effects, Anne Geijsen and Meike Bartels examined the wellbeing of adolescents aged 14 to 16 and followed them into adulthood, between the ages of 20 and 35. They investigated a range of later-life outcomes, including wellbeing, mental health, personality, sleep, and perceived physical health.
Positive association with later functioning
The results show that adolescents who reported higher levels of wellbeing generally functioned better as young adults. They reported higher wellbeing later in life, perceived their health more positively, and, on average, experienced better sleep quality.
In addition, they scored higher on conscientiousness, a personality trait associated with persistence, self-discipline, and responsibility. At the same time, they reported lower levels of neuroticism, a personality trait linked to stress, worry, and emotional instability.
Several of these associations remained significant even after researchers accounted for adolescents' earlier levels of functioning. This suggests that wellbeing during adolescence may be linked to subsequent developmental outcomes.
The role of family environment and genetics
An important question in the study was the extent to which these associations could be explained by family-related factors, such as upbringing or genetic predisposition. To investigate this, the researchers used a sibling-comparison design. This approach compares siblings—and in this case, twins—with one another. Because siblings share many genes and a similar family environment, this method allows researchers to better estimate which effects are associated with individual differences in wellbeing.
The analyses showed that the associations became smaller when family members were compared with one another. This indicates that shared factors, such as genetics and upbringing, may explain part of the relationship. At the same time, several associations remained significant, suggesting that adolescent wellbeing may have a direct influence on health and functioning up to twenty years later.
Geijsen explains: “We see that young people who feel good during their teenage years carry this forward into later life. The effect remains, even after taking into account what siblings share, such as their upbringing and genetic background. This shows that wellbeing during adolescence truly matters and is something worth investing in early on.”
The societal importance of wellbeing
According to the researchers, these findings highlight the importance of paying attention to adolescent wellbeing. This is not only about preventing mental health problems, but also about actively promoting wellbeing.
Bartels concludes: “This study, together with other research from our group, shows that wellbeing is not merely an outcome measure. More importantly, we should view wellbeing as a starting point and a catalyst for positive development.”
Link to publication: Adolescent wellbeing is associated with positive outcomes in early adulthood in a sibling comparison study | Nature Communications