Psychological Well-Being in a Context of Adversity: Ghanaian Adolescents’ Experiences of Hope and Life Satisfaction

Mental-health research in resource-scarce contexts has focused on individuals’ psychological deficits, while positive psychological experiences and overall well-being have remained largely neglected. Using a qualitative method involving individual interviews, the present study explores the subjective experiences of hope and life satisfaction as representations of psychological well-being in eighteen schoolgoing adolescents, selected from six schools in the Northern Region of Ghana. The results of the study are twofold. First, against and despite the backdrop of socioeconomic adversity, adolescents expressed confidence about their prospects, with family and religion being salient features in their conceptualization of hope. Second, the realization of set goals, a positive self-image, parental support, and positive peer relations emerge as important themes in evaluating adolescents’ lives as satisfactory.