WHAT CREATES HAPPINESS AMONG THE YOUTH? Surprising New Research

According to a recent survey by the Associated Press and MTV, what makes young people the most happy is spending time with family. The open-ended questionnaire on the nature of happiness drew that response from one in five respondents of 1,280 people, ages 13 through 24. Spending time with friends scored next on the happiness meter, followed by time with a significant other. Even better for parents: Nearly three-fourths of young people say their relationship with their parents makes them happy. “They’re my foundation,” says Kristiana St. John, 17, from New York City. Other poll results were more disconcerting: While most young people reported being happy overall, whites registered higher satisfaction, across economic categories, than blacks and Hispanics. A lot of young people indicated they felt stress, particularly those from the middle class, and females more than males. Almost no one said money brought happiness, though people with the highest family incomes were generally happier with life. However, having highly educated parents was a stronger predictor of happiness than income. Being sexually active led to less happiness among youths 13 through 17, the survey showed, though it might lead to more happiness in the moment for youths 18 through 24, the survey showed. Close to half say religion and spirituality are very important. And more than half say they believe there is a higher power that has an influence over things that make them happy. Beyond religion, simply belonging to an organized religious group makes people happier..(source for article: Jocelyn Noveck and Trevor Tompson, Associated Press/The Hartford Courant).

Sign up today for Dr. Joshua Coleman's FREE monthly ezine at www.drjoshuacoleman.com or whenparentshurt.com. Dr. Coleman is an internationally known expert in parenting, couples, families, and relationships with a practice in SF and Oakland. A frequent guest on the Today Show and NPR, he has also appeared on ABC 20/20, Good Morning America, the BBC, and numerous news programs for FOX, ABC, and NBC television. His new book, WHEN PARENTS HURT: COMPASSIONATE STRATEGIES WHEN YOU AND YOUR GROWN CHILD DON’T GET ALONG (HarperCollins) was released July, 2007.