Keeping up with the times: A considered approach to measuring youth well-being

Abstract

In the last decade, we have seen a broadening scope of health to include not only the treatment and prevention of illnesses, but also the promotion of wellbeing. Well-being has been generally defined as 'living the good life'. In schools, an increased sense of well-being in students has been linked to better learning outcomes, subsequent employment and economic participation, overall health, and decrease in risky behaviours. To gain a better understanding about youth well-being, and how to improve the state of well-being in schools, it is essential to have a valid and reliable measurement tool to monitor the level of well-being on a large scale. In most developed countries, children and adolescents are mostly enrolled in schools. Hence, schools may be suitably positioned as a gateway to examine the well-being of children and young people. Contemporary challenges facing schools in tracking and monitoring students' well-being need to be carefully considered in the design of a well-being measurement tool. This essay will briefly discuss factors to integrate in the conceptualization of a youth well-being measurement tool that will be useful and sustainable for schools.