The Association Between School-Related Perceived Financial Pressure and Adolescent Mental Well-Being

This study investigated the relationships between adolescents’ school-related perceived financial pressure, mental well-being, and their relationship with their parents. A 27-item online questionnaire was designed with three subscales - perceived financial pressure, parent-adolescent relationship, and mental well-being - to examine this. A sample of 40 adolescent students in Auckland, New Zealand, was collected. Correlational relationships between the subscales were measured using Pearson’s correlation, and gender differences were investigated using the ANOVA test. The correlational tests revealed that there are significant negative correlations between perceived financial pressure and parent-adolescent relationship, as well as between perceived financial pressure and mental well-being. A positive correlation was identified between parent-adolescent relationship and mental well-being. No significant differences within these subscales were found between genders. The findings suggest that adolescent students’ stress related to academics is significantly influenced by how they perceive their parents’ financial situation. It is also suggested that financial stress places a strain on parent-adolescent relationships, as consistent with previous research. The results also give reason to assume that male and female adolescents in Auckland experience similar amounts of financial pressure.