Description
Adolescent well-being is increasingly under pressure, with rising rates of internalising problems, loneliness, and declining life satisfaction. One proposed driver of this trend is the intensification of academic pressure in societies with or transitioning toward knowledge-based economies, where education functions as a positional good and competition for upward mobility increases. In such contexts, early educational decisions, particularly track placements, carry significant implications for future opportunities. This study investigates the relationship between intergenerational educational mobility and adolescent well-being in the Netherlands, where early tracking makes mobility tangible for both adolescents and their families. Drawing on survey data from Dutch secondary school students in grade 9 and the exam grades, we assess how upward and downward mobility, defined by comparing adolescents’ secondary school track assumed eventual attainment with parental educational attainment, relates to subjective health, life satisfaction, and psychosomatic complaints. We further examine the mediating role of school-related stress in these associations. The findings highlight that both upward and downward mobility can negatively affect adolescent well-being, though the timing and mechanisms differ. These results underscore the psychological costs of educational mobility and call for greater attention to the emotional dimensions of educational inequality.| Period | 1 Oct 2025 → 3 Oct 2025 |
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| Event title | European Research Network on Transitions in Youth (TiY) |
| Event type | Conference |
| Location | Aarhus, DenmarkShow on map |
| Degree of Recognition | International |