Applying the TSA Model of Adjustment for Understanding Adolescents’ Wellness

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6463-954-4_16How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Adolescence; Adjustment; Spirituality; Transitional Stress and Adjustment Model; well-being

Abstract

The exploration of adjustment processes is rarely studied in traditional positive psychology models. Still, as people go through life transitions, they face a mix of challenging and positive experiences. Whether or not they feel prepared, individuals encounter moments of negative emotions caused by leaving the familiar, dealing with uncertainty, and handling new demands to behave in unfamiliar ways. However, during these transitions, they also find new strengths, such as increased resilience, engage in meaningful reflection, gain valuable insights, and experience the empowerment that comes from mastering new behaviors. The TSA model (Israelashvili, 2023) provides a universal framework for understanding the common individual and environmental/organizational components of the adjustment process during life course transitions. It can serve as both a conceptual tool and an applied framework to support individuals and organizations during transition periods and to help prevent maladjustment. The present study checked the utility of applying the TSA model for a better understanding of adolescents’ flourishing. Based on the TSA model, a study involving two samples of Israeli adolescents—Jewish (N=442) and Arab (N=331)—was conducted. Participants completed several measures, including Adolescent Vigor, Reynolds Adolescent Adjustment Screening Inventory, Parent-Adolescent Communication Scale, School Adjustment Questionnaire, Adults’ Guidance on Life and Living, and Transitional Stress and Adjustment Index. The findings highlight the potential benefits of using the TSA model to understand adolescents’ well-being and identify factors that could lead to maladaptive behaviors. Additionally, the results support the notion that adolescents in transition are eager to discuss and seek answers on a wide range of spiritual issues, both theistic and nontheistic. Surprisingly, the study also found that those who feel less adjusted are less willing to discuss moral and spiritual issues further. Overall, the results emphasize the vital role adults—such as parents and teachers—play in helping adolescents understand key spiritual topics and in conveying messages that promote thriving, encompassing both the darker and more positive aspects of human life.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

Download article (PDF)

TY  - CONF
AU  - Moshe Israelashvili
AU  - Yeara Bodaker
AU  - Marwa Abe
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/12/29
TI  - Applying the TSA Model of Adjustment for Understanding Adolescents’ Wellness
BT  - Proceedings of the Positive Psychology 2.0 International Conference 2025 (PP 2.0 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 212
EP  - 224
SN  - 2667-128X
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-954-4_16
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6463-954-4_16
ID  - Israelashvili2025
ER  -