RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HAPPINESS AND MENTAL HEALTH STATUS AMONG HIGH SCHOOL FEMALE STUDENTS: A DESCRIPTIVE – ANALYTIC STUDY

Paying attention to the mental health of adolescents especially girls, has got a
specific importance, and apparently happiness is one of the most important factors to mental health
promotion. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between happiness and mental health
status among high school female students in Kermanshah.
Materials & Methods: In this descriptive - analytic study, 629 senior female students were recruited by
simple random sampling method from 3 sections of Kermanshah city in 2015. The tools for gathering
data were: a) General Health Questionnaire (GHQ28), and b) Oxford Happiness Questionnaire. The
results were analyzed by SPSS 22 by doing Pearson correlation and linear regression statistical tests.
Results: The mean score of happiness in students was 39.60, and the mean score of mental health was
34.15. There was a reverse but significant relationship between happiness and mental health scores (r=-
0.678). Also happiness and all its components have significantly correlated with subscales of GHQ28
scores (p<0.05).
Conclusion: Happiness and its components were associated with mental health status in female students,
so increasing happiness could be useful to improve mental health status in the community