Title of publication

The association between loneliness, mental wellbeing, and self-esteem among adolescents in four Nordic countries

Abstract 

Positive mental health is central to adolescent well-being. The present study examines the prevalence of loneliness and positive mental health indicators (mental well-being and self-esteem) in four Nordic countries and associations between loneliness, mental well-being, and high self-esteem. This study is based on data from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study which was conducted in 2018 in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Sweden. Participants were 5883 15-year-old boys and girls. To examine the associations between loneliness, mental well-being, and self-esteem, structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied. In the comparison of Nordic countries, the prevalence of loneliness was highest among Finnish and Icelandic adolescents. High mental well-being and high self-esteem were most prevalent in Denmark and Sweden. In general, boys scored higher on positive mental health indicators and girls on loneliness. Loneliness was also a strong indicator of low mental well-being and low self-esteem in all Nordic countries. Loneliness is not only associated with mental health problems such as anxiety and depression, but it is also a risk factor for adolescents’ positive mental health. Positive mental health is important for healthy maturation and there is a need to develop initiatives to reduce adolescent loneliness and so support positive development.

Full text

Full text at https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/14/7405  

Cite

Lyyra, N., Thorsteinsson, E. B., Eriksson, C., Madsen, K. R., Tolvanen, A., Löfstedt, P., & Välimaa, R. (2021). The association between loneliness, mental wellbeing, and self-esteem among adolescents in four Nordic countries. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18, Article 7405. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18147405 

Perceptions of gender equality among Icelandic year 10 adolescents

 

Title of publication

Perceptions of gender equality among Icelandic year 10 adolescents: Population studies 1992, 2006, and 2014

Abstract 

The aim of this research is to outline, for the first time, the changes in attitudes towards gender equality among 10th graders in Iceland based on data obtained from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) in 1992, 2006, and 2014. The sampling proportions were high (85.1% in 1992, 43.2% in 2006, and 77.9% in 2014), thereby reflecting parameters (population values) rather than statistics (sample values). Boys and girls are viewing gender roles as being more equal with time, while, concurrently, girls tend to have more gender-equal attitudes than boys. The present paper provides an unparalleled examination of changes in attitudes towards gender equality. After a backlash in adolescents’ attitudes, revealed in the 2006 study, there are positive signs of more gender-equal attitudes in the 2014 results.

Full text

Full text at https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7051/1/3/22/htm 

Cite

Thorsteinsson, E. B., Hjálmsdóttir, A. S., & Bjarnason, T. (2021). Perceptions of gender equality among Icelandic year 10 adolescents: Population studies 1992, 2006, and 2014. Adolescents, 1, 294-305. https://doi.org/10.3390/adolescents1030022 

Adolescents' sleep difficulty: Trends in the Nordic countries 2002-2014

Title of publication

Trends in sleeping difficulty among adolescents in five Nordic countries 2002-2014

Abstract 

Sleep has been found to be an important factor in adolescents’ mental and physical health. The aim of the present study was to examine trends in sleep difficulty (i.e., difficulty falling asleep more often than once a week) in the Nordic countries among 11- to 15-year-olds. We analysed Nordic data from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study (HBSC), which is conducted every four years, looking specifically at trends in sleep difficulty over a 12-year period from 2002 to 2014. The participants were aged 11 to 15 years. The total number of participants across these years was 113,447. A large percentage (17% to 31% in 2014) of adolescents in the Nordic countries experience sleep difficulty, and these difficulties increased from 2002 to 2014 in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Sweden. Only in Norway was there a decrease, mainly due to a reduction in sleep difficulty among 11-year-old boys and girls from 2010 to 2014. Sleep difficulty among boys and girls are prevalent and generally on the rise in the Nordic countries with the exception of Norway.

Cite

Thorsteinsson, E. B., Potrebny, T., Arnarsson, Á. M., Tynjälä, J., Välimaa, R., & Eriksson, C. (2019). Trends in sleeping difficulty among adolescents in five Nordic countries 2002-2014. Nordisk välfärdsforskning | Nordic Welfare Research, 4, 77-87.  https://doi.org/10.18261/issn.2464-4161-2019-02-05

School stress among adolescents in the Nordic countries: Trends 2002-2014

Title of publication

Trends in perceived school stress among adolescents in five Nordic countries 2002-2014

Abstract 

Associations between school-related stress and poor health, risk behaviours and low well-being are well documented. The aim of this paper was to estimate trends of perceived school stress experienced by boys and girls of different ages in the Nordic countries, and to describe trends in school stress between the Nordic countries. Nordic data from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study (HBSC) between 2002 and 2014 were used. The participants were aged 11–16 years. School stress was measured by a single item; “How pressured do you feel by schoolwork?” The participants answering “some” or “a lot” were categorised as reporting school stress.  Sweden, Norway and Denmark had lower prevalence of school stress compared to Finland and Iceland. There was an increase in Iceland, Finland and Denmark, whereas adolescents from Sweden showed a decreasing trend. In Norway, the level was stable. Boys showed a marginal decline in school stress whereas girls showed an increase, and school stress increased by age for the whole period. It is a challenge for the public education systems in the Nordic countries to develop policies and practices that provide children with the necessary tools to achieve knowledge and skill, and at the same minimise stress in school.

Cite

Löfstedt, P., Charli, E., Potrebny, T., Välimaa, R., Thorsteinsson, E. B., Due, P., Damsgaard, M. T., Suominen, S., Rasmussen, M., & Torsheim, T. (2019). Trends in perceived school stress among adolescents in five Nordic countries 2002-2014. Nordisk välfärdsforskning | Nordic Welfare Research, 4, 101-112.  https://doi.org/10.18261/issn.2464-4161-2019-02-07

Attraction oriention and substance use: European adolescents

Title of publication

Romantic attraction and substance use in 15-year-old adolescents from eight European countries

Abstract 

Sexual minority youth are at higher risk of substance use than heterosexual youth. However, most evidence in this area is from North America, and it is unclear whether the findings can be generalized to other cultures and countries. In this investigation, we used data from the 2014 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study to compare substance use in same- and both-gender attracted 15-year-old adolescents from eight European countries (n = 14,545) to that of their peers who reported opposite-gender attraction or have not been romantically attracted to anyone. Both-gender attracted, and to a lesser extent, same-gender attracted adolescents were significantly more likely to smoke cigarettes, consume alcohol, get drunk and use cannabis, or be involved in multiple substance use in the last 30 days compared to their opposite-gender attracted peers. Those adolescents who have not been in love had significantly lower odds for substance use than all other youth. The pattern of results remained the same after adjusting for country, gender and family affluence. These findings are compatible with the minority stress and romantic stress theories. They suggest that sexual minority stigma (and love on its own) may contribute to higher substance use among adolescents in European countries.

Cite

Költő, A., Cosma, A., Young, H., Moreau, N., Pavlova, D., Tesler, R., Thorsteinsson, E. B., Vieno, A., Saewyc, E. M., & Gabhainn, S. N. (2019). Romantic attraction and substance use in 15-year-old adolescents from eight European countries. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16, Article 3063.  https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16173063

Research on adolescent positive mental health: How to enhance

Title of publication

Towards enhancing research on adolescent positive mental health

Abstract 

The positive mental health and well-being perspective represents innovative public health research of first-rank priority in Europe. Good mental health is both a state and a resource for everyday life. Hence, the concept often refers to a subjective feeling (hedonic component) as well as positive functioning (eudaimonic component). Different conceptualisations of mental health-related issues are a background to this paper, which gives a brief overview of three research issues in the Nordic countries. First, the development in the occurrences of adolescent mental health-related indicators such as life satisfaction, health, sleep, and school pressure. Second, review of Nordic methodological studies reporting on different mental health-related measures. Third, the selection of measures of positive mental health employed in the 2017–2018 Health Behaviour among School-aged Children (HBSC) data collection in the Nordic countries. Using the Nordic HBSC data for 2002–2014, it was found that symptom and problem-oriented analyses of mental health can improve our understanding of the challenges adolescents face. However, there is also a need to examine positive aspects of mental health in order to enhance our understanding of different mental health-related dimensions. New measures were included in the 2017–18 HBSC data collection in the Nordic countries, enabling researchers to answer different research questions including analysing factors mediating and moderating positive mental health among school-aged children. Extending the perspective from a symptom- and problem-oriented view to a more positive and asset-based perspective adds additional value to studies of mental health.

Cite

Eriksson, C., Arnarsson, Á. M., Damsgaard, M. T., Löfstedt, P., Potrebny, T., Suominen, S., Thorsteinsson, E. B., Torsheim, T., Välimaa, R., & Due, P. (2019). Towards enhancing research on adolescent positive mental health. Nordisk välfärdsforskning | Nordic Welfare Research, 4, 113-128.  https://doi.org/10.18261/issn.2464-4161-2019-02-08

Link

https://www.idunn.no/nordisk_valfardsforskning/2019/02/towards_enhancing_research_on_adolescent_positive_mental_he

Model fit and comparisons for the MACS

Title of publication

Model fit and comparisons for the Measure of Adolescent Coping Strategies (MACS): Fiji, Iceland, and Australia

Abstract 

A two-dimensional theory of adolescent coping with cross-cultural and cross-Human Development Index Categories (HDI) application was tested: the Measure of Adolescent Coping Strategies (MACS). The MACS was answered by 809 adolescents of diverse origins from different parts of Fiji and compared with findings from Australia and Iceland. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) results showed the MACS to have a reliable factorial and dimensional structure in Fiji. Differences between girls and boys were similar in Fiji, Australia, and Iceland. Stoicism/distraction was identical for boys and girls in all countries. There were no differences comparing mother tongue (Fijian and Hindi). The two-dimensional theory of adolescent coping was supported.

Cite

Sveinbjornsdottir, S., Thorsteinsson, E. B., & Lingam, G. I. (2017). Model fit and comparisons for the Measure of Adolescent Coping Strategies (MACS): Fiji, Iceland, and Australia. Journal of Pacific Rim Psychology, 11. doi:10.1017/prp.2017.20

Link

https://doi.org/10.1017/prp.2017.20

Sexual orientation among Icelandic year 10 adolescents

Title of publication

Sexual orientation among Icelandic year 10 adolescents: Changes in health and life satisfaction from 2006 to 2014

Abstract 

Background: Minority sexual orientation may add additional stresses to the period of adolescence thus affecting mental health and wellbeing.

Method: The whole population of year 10 students in 2006, 2010, and 2014 in Iceland were surveyed as part of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey. About 3.1%, 3.6%, and 4.4% were identified as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) in 2006, 2010, and 2014, respectively. Given the sampling proportions, the results reflect parameters (population values) rather than statistics (sample values).

Results: LGB adolescents were worse off across most of the outcome variables across the three surveys as compared with adolescents of unknown sexual orientation (USO). However, the gap between LGB and USO adolescents appears to be closing, at least for the 2010 to 2014 change, suggesting that outcomes for LGB adolescents have improved compared to four years earlier. Social support, liking school and one’s classmates, being bullied, and physical and mental health all seem to play an important part in life satisfaction and general wellbeing.

Conclusion: While advances have been made for LGB adolescents, gaps between LGB and USO adolescents still exist and need to be closed through evidence-based school and society-wide programs.

Cite

Thorsteinsson, E. B., Loi, N., Sveinbjornsdottir, S., & Arnarsson, A. (2017). Sexual orientation among Icelandic year 10 adolescents: Changes in health and life satisfaction from 2006 to 2014. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 58, 530-540. doi:10.1111/sjop.12402

Link

http://doi.org/10.1111/sjop.12402 

Internet addiction, psychological distress, and coping responses

Title of publication

Internet addiction, psychological distress, and coping responses among adolescents and adults

Abstract

As Internet use grows so do the benefits and also the risks. Thus, it is important to identify when individuals’ Internet use is problematic. In the present study 449 participants aged from 16 to 71 years of age were sourced from a wide range of English speaking Internet forums including social media, and self-help groups. Of these, 68.9% were classified as non-problematic users, 24.4% as problematic users, and 6.7% as addictive Internet users. High use of discussion forums, high rumination levels, and low levels of self-care were the main contributing factors to Internet addiction (IA) among adolescents. For adults, though, IA was mainly predicted through engagement in online video gaming and sexual activity, low email use, as well as high anxiety and high avoidant coping. Problematic Internet users scored higher on emotion and avoidance coping responses in adults and higher on rumination and lower on self-care in adolescents. Avoidance coping responses mediated the relationship between psychological distress and Internet addiction. These findings may assist clinicians with designing interventions to target different factors associated with Internet addiction.

Link

http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/pdf/10.1089/cyber.2016.0669

Cite

McNicol, M. L., & Thorsteinsson, E. B. (2017). Internet addiction, psychological distress, and coping responses among adolescents and adults. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 20, 296-304. doi:10.1089/cyber.2016.0669