SMAART Well-being

Well-being Among Youth

What is Well-being?

Well-being is defined as a positive state encountered by an individual comprising quality of life and abilities to contribute to development. It is a valuable resource influenced by societal dynamics, economic factors and environmental conditions (1). It is a multidimensional notion, comprising objective measure including quality of life and subjective measures comprising psychological, cognitive, social aspects (2). Advancing in the arena of well-being is essential as it pertains to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (1).

Figure: Factors associated with health and well-being

Major Threats to Well-being

Figure: Major threats to Well-being (4)

Research and reports reveals:

Youth Well-being

Youth well-being is progressively an essential part of the concept of well-being. An urgent need for interventions and policies has been expressed to address the psychological aspects of young individuals (9).

Research indicates:
  • COVID-19 related hardships was associated with youth stress and decreased satisfaction in life (10)
  • Youth specifically in the age group of 21-25 years had peritraumatic distress 2.42 times more than other age groups (11)

SMAART Well-being

Well-being is defined as a positive state encountered by an individual comprising quality of life and abilities to contribute to development. It is a valuable resource influenced by societal dynamics, economic factors and environmental conditions