The study of the wellbeing of children and adolescents in Flanders in relation to their skills and functioning at school.

The relation between the cognitive (and creative) functioning of children and adolescents in general (and talented children in particular) and a lack of wellbeing (i.e. depression or suicide) is yet controversial. Available scientific data is not conclusive with regard to this, which is greatly due to methodological shortcomings of studies and lack of consensus with regard to operational definitions of cognitive functioning and wellbeing. This doctoral research aims to achieve a Flemish consensus with regard to definitions of (lack of) wellbeing and cognitive (creative) skills, and to methods and instruments to measure these characteristics in children and adloscents reliably. Secondly, and for the first time in Flanders, based on a considerable sample of children (aged 6 years) and adolescents (aged 12 years) a longitudinal epidemiologic study will be executed to explore the relation between their wellbeing on the one hand and their skills (cognitive and or creative) and functioning at school on the onther hand. Special attention will go to protective and risk factors for the wellbeing of children and adolescents with striking coginitive and or creative skills. The study will result in recommendations for the development of a preventive policy in the centres for pupil guidance.

Keywords:Mental health, Wellbeing, School, Cognitive skills, Education, Youth, Prevention

Disciplines:Education curriculum, Education systems, General pedagogical and educational sciences, Specialist studies in education, Other pedagogical and educational sciences, Public health care, Public health sciences, Public health services, Paediatrics and neonatology, Nursing, Psychiatry and psychotherapy, Other paramedical sciences, Clinical and counselling psychology, Other psychology and cognitive sciences