Well-Being from the Understanding of Children and Adolescents: a Qualitative Metasynthesis

Within the framework of the increasing academic valuation of the use of qualitative methodologies for the study of the well-being of children and adolescents, a systematic review of the available empirical production was developed through the “Qualitative Metasynthesis” methodology. The purpose of the study was to analyze and describe, jointly and integratively, the main common and shared aspects of the available knowledge on the dimensions that, according to the children and adolescent’s understandings, are significant for their well-being. During the second semester of the year 2018, the SCOPUS and Web of Science databases were reviewed, identifying a total of 76 articles of which 13 met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed following the methodology of constant comparison, interpretation of results and conceptual reinterpretation proposed by Sandelowski and Barroso (2007). The results brought about the delimitation and description of five categories: “Positive notion of oneself”; “Good treatment and support relations”; “Recognition”; “Significant activities”; and “Contextual aspects”. The obtained results contribute to the systematization of the knowledge about well-being provided from qualitative methodologies, thus contributing to the development of indicators for the study of well-being with information on domains and significant areas for children and adolescents.