Multidimensional Life Satisfaction Reports of Adolescents With Mild Mental Disabilities

Using the Multidimensional Students' Life Satisfaction Scale-MSLSS, comparisons of mean levels of general and domain-specific satisfaction suggested that the students with mild mental disabilities reported comparable positive levels with two exceptions.

Abstract

Using the Multidimensional Students' Life Satisfaction Scale-MSLSS(Huebner, 1994), we compared life satisfaction reports of 80 high school students with mild mental disabilities with a matched sample of 80 typically achieving students. The results provided preliminary support for the use of the MSLSS in research with secondary school students with mild mental disabilities. Comparisons of mean levels of general and domain-specific satisfaction suggested that the students with mild mental disabilities reported comparable positive levels with two exceptions. They reported lower satisfaction with their friendships and higher satisfaction with school experiences than did their typically achieving counterparts. The school satisfaction reports of students with mild mental disabilities varied as a function of differences in placement in special education.