Wellbeing Is Not the Absence of Psychological Distress: A Longitudinal Descriptive Analysis in Early Adolescence

Amanda Boyes; Daniel F Hermens

doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2025.09.002

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Wellbeing Is Not the Absence of Psychological Distress: A Longitudinal Descriptive Analysis in Early Adolescence

Journal article

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Wellbeing Is Not the Absence of Psychological Distress: A Longitudinal Descriptive Analysis in Early Adolescence

Amanda Boyes and Daniel F Hermens

Journal of Adolescent Health, Vol.78(1), pp.195-199

2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2025.09.002

PMID: 41074894

Appears in UniSC Diversity and Inclusion Research Collection

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Abstract

Wellbeing

Longitudinal

Early adolescence

Psychological distress

UniSC Diversity Area - Life Stages

There is a growing consensus that combining measures of poor mental health with measures of mental wellbeing may aid in the development of effective early interventions. Participants (N = 136; 74 female), enrolled in the Longitudinal Adolescent Brain Study (LABS) between July 2018 and January 2025, completed up to four timepoints over 12 months, between the ages of 12 and 14 years (411 datasets). Groups were created based on 'moderate-high' and 'low' levels of both wellbeing (measured using the Composure, Own-worth, Mastery, Positivity, Achievement and Satisfaction - Wellbeing scale), and psychological distress (measured using the Kessler Psychological Distress; K10 scale). Four groups were identified, "Flourishing high distress" (n = 45; 24 female), "Flourishing low distress" (n = 44; 22 female), "Languishing high distress" (n = 37; 27 female), and "Languishing low distress" (n = 10, one female). Chi-square analyses found significant sex differences in wellbeing-distress profiles (p < 0.001). This longitudinal, descriptive study of early adolescents highlights their complex mental health experience. Adolescents who are flourishing but have high distress appear to be common and represent a potentially unrecognized subgroup susceptible to future mental health problems, warranting specific early interventions.

Details

Title: Wellbeing Is Not the Absence of Psychological Distress: A Longitudinal Descriptive Analysis in Early Adolescence
Authors: Amanda Boyes (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Thompson Institute
Daniel F Hermens - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Thompson Institute
Publication details: Journal of Adolescent Health, Vol.78(1), pp.195-199
Publisher: Elsevier Inc.
Date published: 2026
DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2025.09.002
ISSN: 1879-1972
PMID: 41074894
Copyright note: © 2025 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Data Availability: The datasets generated and analyzed during the current study are not publicly available due the fact that they constitute an excerpt of research in progress but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Grant note: LABS is supported by the Australian Commonwealth Government's ‘Prioritizing Mental Health Initiative’ (2018-25). This research was also supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship.
Organisation Unit: Thompson Institute
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991173182602621
Output Type: Journal article

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