Family climate, school climate, and life satisfaction in adolescents

The present study examined the relationship between family and school climate, and specific factors of personal adjustment, such as self-esteem, depressive symptoms, and life satisfaction in adolescents. The sample was composed of 1319 adolescents of both sexes (11 to 16 years old), attending 7 schools in Valencia, Spain. Structural equation modelling indicates that a positive family climate is directly and indirectly related to an adolescent's life satisfaction; and influenced by the individual's level of self-esteem and depressive symptoms. There was no direct association between school climate and an adolescent's life satisfaction; in this case, an indirect relationship was observed due to the effect that school climate may have on a student's depressive mood.