A groundbreaking study conducted by the Ânima Institute, in partnership with the Laboratory for Studies and Research in Education and Social Economy at the University of São Paulo (Lepes/USP), found that the quality of the teacher-student relationship has a strong impact on the development of students’ life purpose.

The study analyzed 500,000 responses from education professionals and students in the public school systems of the states of Minas Gerais, Goiás, Bahia, Pará, and São Paulo, collected in three rounds conducted between 2023 and 2024.

“The key finding of this study is that students who are in contact with their teachers—that is, who are able to form a relationship with their teachers and feel confident enough to do so—show better indicators of life purpose. “That is the main finding,” Gustavo Mendonça Blanco, executive director of the Laboratory for Innovation in Public Education Policy (Lippe), told Agência Brasil. He also emphasized that family support plays an equally decisive role.”

The study, titled “Diagnostic Assessment: A Survey of Teachers and Students on Life Goals, Mental Health, School Climate, and Social-Emotional Skills,” reveals that young people who say they can count on their teachers have, on average, 16% more sense of purpose in life compared to those who do not feel supported. When that support comes from the family, that figure rises to 20%.

The survey, which focused primarily on high school students and 8th- and 9th-graders, underscores the importance of trusting relationships with adult role models. “This relationship is very important for developing a sense of purpose in life,” Blanco emphasized.

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Mental Health and Risk Factors

By examining the relationship between mental health and life purpose, the study shows that, even among young people with similar mental health indicators, those who have the support of a teacher report up to 30% greater life purpose.

The survey also identified risk factors that affect students' emotional well-being both inside and outside of school, influencing their ability to plan for the future:

• 29% say that their studies are harmful to their mental health;
• 26% have been bullied;
• 24% feel pressure to conform to beauty standards;
• 21% are distressed about their family's financial situation;
• 16% felt lonely in the past year;
• 13% feel compelled to mimic behaviors they see on social media.

Among the factors that contribute most to the development of a sense of purpose in life, social-emotional skills rank first, at 54.9%. Next are the relationship with the teacher (14.7%), mental health (14.5%), family support (11%), and individual characteristics (4.7%).

Source: Agência Brasil

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