Subjective well-being of slum dwelling adolescents: validation and findings from India

ABSTRACT

In slum environments, adolescents face unique challenges that can significantly impact their well-being. This study aimed to assess the personal well-being of adolescents living in Delhi- NCR (National Capital Region) slums. Cummins’ homeostasis theory states that individuals have a natural tendency to maintain a certain level of well-being and that various psychological mechanisms work to maintain this well-being within a positive and stable range. The study’s objectives were to evaluate the normative range of mean scores for PWI domains, examine demographic factors influencing subjective well-being, and to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Personal Well-being Index-School Children (PWI-SC) in the context of slum-dwelling adolescents. A total of 477 slum dwelling adolescents aged 10–19 years participated in the study. The findings revealed that the PWI-SC demonstrated strong internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.83) and was a one-factor solution, affirming its reliability and unidimensionality as a measure of subjective well-being. The results indicated that slum-dwelling adolescents reported moderate to high levels of subjective well-being across various PWI domains. Furthermore, the regression analysis demonstrated that various domains, such as standard of living, life achievement, personal relationships, personal safety, community connectedness, and future security, significantly contribute to adolescents’ overall life satisfaction. However, the impact of health is unknown in this context. Moreover, Age, family income, household size, and living conditions in the slums were identified as factors influencing subjective well-being among adolescents. Despite confronting challenging circumstances, slum-dwelling adolescents exhibit remarkable well-being, suggesting the presence of homeostatically protected moods. The validated PWI-SC has emerged as a valuable tool for future research and interventions aimed at enhancing adolescent well-being in similar contexts.

KEYWORDS:

• Subjective well-being
• slum adolescents
• personal well-being index
• Psychometric properties

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplementary Material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/17450128.2024.2326730

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.

Notes on contributors

Uzma Azam

Uzma Azam is a senior research fellow at the Department of Psychology, Aligarh Muslim University in India. Uzma’s interests lie in cross-cultural research, human-environment interaction, and social psychology.

Reshma Jamal

Reshma Jamal, PhD, is an Associate Professor at the Department of Psychology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh. Jamal specializes in Criminal Psychology, Clinical Psychology, and Social Psychology.