Abstract
Subjective well-being is defined as a person’s cognitive and affective evaluations of his or her life. This study aims to investigate the differences in the domains of subjective well-being based on gender, type of school, and academic performance. Additionally, the study aimed to determine the factors (socio-demographic variables, including the academic performance of the students) that are predictive of subjective well-being. Subjective well-being was assessed using a questionnaire which included the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), which measured the respondent’s life satisfaction, the Scale of Positive and Negative Experience (SPANE), which consisted of six positive and negative emotions, and, lastly, the Flourishing Scale (FS), which measured the respondents’ self-perceived success. Data were collected, transformed into a linear scale, and exported into SPSS version 24, where t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson correlation, and stepwise regression were performed. Of the total of 535 participants, the majority were females (383 = 71.6%) and studying in a school of medicine (31.8%). With respect to the SWLS and FS, a significant difference was reported among students based on the type of school and their academic performance (p < 0.05). While comparing the differences in the SPANE, a significant difference was recorded based on academic performance. Among the domains of subjective well-being, only the SPANE showed a significant association with academic performance. Greater subjective well-being correlates with higher academic performance, indicating that subjective well-being is an important aspect of a student’s academic life; provisions can be made by paying more attention to those who showed poor academic performance during and at the end of each semester.
Highlights
The term subjective well-being (SWB) is defined as “a person’s cognitive and affective evaluations of his or her life” [1]
Since there is growing evidence of increased stress, burnout, and depression among the medical students at the Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies, this study aimed to investigate the differences in the domains of subjective well-being based on gender, type of school, and academic performance
In the post hoc test, we found a significant difference in Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) scores between the grade point averages (GPAs) of 4 and above and 2–2.99
Summary
The term subjective well-being (SWB) is defined as “a person’s cognitive and affective evaluations of his or her life” [1]. According to recently published research from Trinidad and Tobago, medical students are experiencing increased levels of stress, including burnout and depressive symptoms [2,3]. Low SBW among the students is shown to be associated with multiple factors that hurt professional development, such as unhealthy lifestyles, mental health problems, and academic failure [4]. The stressful atmosphere brought upon them by intense studies is a negative contributor to psychological health, and can negatively affect a student’s academic performance [5]. An interesting study by Gutiérrez among 870 students in the Dominican Republic found that teachers’ autonomy has some important direct effects on engagement and self-efficacy, and it was a direct predictor of SWB. The study concluded that self-efficacy and engagement mediate the effects of support of autonomy on the academic achievement of students [6]. A Pakistani study by Bhukari et al aimed to determine the association between academic performance and subjective well-being (depression, subjective happiness, and life satisfaction) among
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