Social problem-solving, life satisfaction and well-being among high school and university students

Abstract

Students face several challenges when transitioning to a new school level. This necessitates an exploration of the personal features supporting their adjustment, which may provide valuable insights for intervention programs and counseling services at institutions. We employed a sample of 9th- to 10th-grade high school students (N = 255) and 1st- to 2nd-year university students (N = 320) and adopted a longitudinal design to examine the relation between their social problem-solving, life satisfaction and school well-being and how they change in a new institutional environment during the first year. The participants answered the Hungarian version of the Social Problem-Solving Inventory–Revised, the Negative Problem Orientation Questionnaire, the Satisfaction with Life Scale and the School Well-being Questionnaire. The results revealed a similar pattern in social problem-solving and negative problem orientation among high school and university students. Positive problem orientation decreased while negative problem orientation and avoidance increased. Negative orientation toward social problems significantly affected life satisfaction and well-being in school. This study then discussed the implications of these findings for interventions supporting students’ social problem-solving and well-being.