Predicting Well-Being and Life Satisfaction in Colombian Adolescents: The Role of Emotion Regulation, Proactive Coping, and Prosocial Behavior

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between positive competences, such as emotion regulation, proactive coping and prosocial behavior, and Colombian adolescents' perception of their well-being and life satisfaction. Through a convenience sample, 930 7 th and 9 th grade adolescents attending 11 public and private schools in 2 main cities of Colombia answered to a set of scales that evaluate proactive coping, emotion regulation, prosocial behavior, perceived life satisfaction and well-being. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to evaluate models for adolescents' well-being and life satisfaction, with the positive competences taken as predictive variables. The model that showed the best fit and accounted for the greatest amount of variance in adolescents' well-being and life satisfaction included 2 dimensions of proactive coping (positive and social), emotion regulation and prosocial behavior. Recommendations for future research and the development of intervention programs to promote adolescents' well-being are presented.