Mental Well-Being in Adolescence: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Mental well-being is defined as an individual's awareness of his/her own potentials, making an effort to overcome the challenging experiences he/she encounters, being productive in his/her individual and social life and trying to contribute to society within the framework of his/her abilities. In this study, it is aimed to systematically review the research theses conducted to determine the variables associated with mental well-being in adolescents. For this purpose, a search was made in the National Thesis Center database using the key concept of mental well-being. As a result of the screening, 4 postgraduate theses conducted with adolescents were accessed. In the studies conducted with adolescents, the relationship between mental well-being and variables such as playing sports, time spent on social media, perceived social support, attachment to mother and father, gender, age, level of education of mother and father, perceived income level are examined. The findings of the research show that the mental well-being scores of the groups who regularly do sports and participate in social activities increase. In the studies examined, there was a significant positive relationship between the level of secure attachment to mother and father and mental well-being, and a significant negative relationship with social media time. Perceived social support was found to be a significant predictor of mental well-being in adolescents. As a result, doing regular sports, spending less time on social media, being aware of social support resources, and having secure attachment positively benefit adolescents' mental well-being levels. These results will shed light on preventive and protective guidance and counseling practices for adolescents' well-being levels.