Research abroad and in our country shows that more and more young people are reporting signs of mental health problems and that people with a higher sense of purpose in life have better mental health. This study focuses on examining differences in high school graduates' mental health and their sense of purpose in life based on gender, subjective assessment of family financial situation, and high school educational programme. We also explore the possible relationship between the constructs of positive mental health, psychopathology and perceived purpose in life. The sample (N=247) includes graduates from three different secondary education programmes in Slovenia. The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS-21), the Positive Mental Health Scale (PMH) and the Purpose in Life (PIL) were used to measure the constructs. The results show statistically significant differences in positive mental health and in the expression of psychopathological signs among high school graduates according to gender and educational programme. Statistically significant differences between high school graduates are also found in the perception of meaning in life according to the subjective assessment of the family financial situation. The correlations indicate a negative relationship between positive mental health and psychopathology and between psychopathology and perceived meaning in life. Positive correlations were found between positive mental health and sense of purpose in life. At the end of the study, we highlight some suggestions for further research.
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