COVID-19

Objective: Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, consistent evidence indicated an increase in adolescent mental health problems. Across these studies, girls and older adolescents reported the least favourable outcomes. Furthermore, there seems to be wide cross-national variations in these time trends. Nowadays, there is widespread societal concern that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in mental health problems among adolescents. However, there is limited evidence that uses representative cross-national sample to quantify this. The aims of this paper in progress are to: i) explore trends in adolescent mental health from 2010 to 2022 in using representative data from 30+ European Countries; ii) investigate how the age and gender gap in adolescent mental health has changed from 2010 onwards; iii) examine cross-national differences in changes in mental health before (2018) and during/after the COVID-19 pandemic (2022); iv) investigate whether the changes in adolescent mental health are associated with specific national level measures. 

Methodology: This study will use data from the HBSC data the European region collected in 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022 from representative samples of adolescents aged 11-, 13-, and 15-year olds. As countries have just finalised their 2022 data collection, we can only assume that we will have data available from about 30 countries (N approx = 700,000+ individuals). The main outcome of interest: high levels psychological complaints (≥ 80th percentile) and high levels somatic complaints (≥ 80th percentile); predictors: survey year: 2010; 2014; 2018; 2022; moderators: age and gender (female vs male); control: family affluence, GDP and GINI. Analysis plan: 1) By country, we plan to present figures with observed changes in mental health problems over time, where we highlight changes in mental health between 2018 and 2022 relative to earlier changes in mental health; 2) We plan to run a series of logistic regressions (on pooled data and for each country). Step 1: we test time trends in high somatic and psychological symptoms from 2010 to 2018. Based on this we can estimate the expected increase from 2018 to 2022. Step 2: we test time trends from 2010 to 2022 and compare these values with predicted values from Step 1; 3) Multilevel random effect regression analysis to test cross-national variation in trends and whether these variations relate to national-level policies (e.g. school closures) against COVID-19. (Anticipated) 

Results: Provisional descriptive analysis confirm that there has been a linear increase in adolescent mental health problems across most the countries included in the HBSC study. Even in countries where we had already seen some steady increases in recent years, these are much more marked since 2018. Gender gap has increased considerably between 2018 to 2022, with girls reporting higher levels of problems. 

Conclusion: These results will contribute to the understanding on the cross-national variation in gender and age effects of the pandemic years on adolescent mental health. Finally, we will be able to test whether specific national level measures (ie, total length of school closures; total length of lockdowns) are associated with the changes in adolescent mental health (2018 to 2022).

Background: Europe has been in a state of unease in recent years due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Children and adolescents have experienced anxiety as a prevalent and severe affective symptom during periods of global crisis. 

Objective: This study aims to evaluate and compare anxiety levels in Lithuanian adolescents during two distinct time periods: the peak of the pandemic in 2021 and the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. 

Methods: Data was gathered from Lithuanian schools in two stages: during the HBSC national pilot survey in December 2021 (n=453) and during the HBSC main national survey in Lithuania between April and June 2022 (n=6566). The self-report questionnaire was used to examine indicators such as anxiety, problematic social media use, stress, loneliness, self-efficacy, peer support and other factors. The main analysis was conducted using multivariable binary logistic regressions. 

Results: Anxiety prevalence among the adolescent population in 2021 and 2022 was similar. Results suggest that high levels of stress, problematic social media use, female gender, and older age were significant predictors of anxiety across both years. Notably, the regression models revealed a unique finding in 2022, where low self-efficacy in problem-solving and high levels of loneliness were identified as significant predictors of anxiety, which was not evident in the 2021 data. 

Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of addressing multiple factors in the prevention and management of anxiety, particularly during times of high stress such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Background: The funding of research is a key activity, necessary, but often cumbersome and time-consuming activity both for the researchers and the peer review of proposals for research. Therefore, the opportunity to influence the call for proposals by different funding agencies is an excellent situation for influencing future research.

Objectives: To describe the process behind a new call for research proposals by NORFACE, an European collaboration between different research funding agencies, and to outline different research lines for future research on well-being. 

Method: Members of the NORFACE board and national experts prioritized different topics related to wellbeing. A writing group consisting of researchers in public health, psychology, sociology, and economy was invited to prepare a background document, which after feedback from the board members, was revised to a call text, which support from the Norfade partners.

Results: The call was named Enhancing well-being for the future. It consists of four themes: (i) Crises, challenges, and well-being; (ii) Environmental challenges and well-being; (iii) Well-being and mental health; and (iv) Well-being, economy, and politics. Four essential cross-cutting themes of relevance for the program: (i) Rethinking well-being and its measurement; (ii) Interdisciplinary research; (iii) Inequality; and (iv) a pan-European perspective and a comparative focus on well-being.

Conclusions: The HBSC study is an excellent infrastructure for research in line with the NORFACE call. Further research collaboration and development of a high-quality proposal would enable researchers to contribute enhancing knowledge on well-being.