The link between developmental components (age and gender), need to belong and resources of self-control and feelings of happiness, and frequency of symptoms among Arab adolescents in Israel

The present study focuses on examining the links between developmental components (age and sex), the need to belong and resources of self-control and feelings of happiness, and the frequency of symptoms among Arab adolescents in Israel. 93 Arab adolescents aged 16 to 18 from two schools in the “northern triangle” region of Israel took part in the study. The findings indicate that developmental components—age and sex—contribute to explaining variance in symptom frequency. In addition, it was found that the happier an adolescent is, the lower the frequency of symptoms, and that the need to belong contributes to raising the level of phobic anxiety, one of the components of the symptom scale. Self-control was not found to contribute significantly to explaining variance in symptom frequency. This study has theoretical implications with respect to the importance of developmental components in explaining adolescent behavior. It also has practical implications: development of feelings of happiness to help reduce symptom frequency.

► The findings indicate that age and sex contribute to explaining symptom frequency.
► Happiness and need to belong are related to symptom frequency.
► Self control was not found to contribute to explaining symptom frequency.