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Häggström Westberg, KatrinORCID iD iconorcid.org/0000-0002-1324-558x
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Publications (10 of 10) Show all publications
Ahlborg, M., Morgan, A., Svedberg, P., Nygren, J. M., Eriksson, M. & Häggström Westberg, K. (2024). SoCap YMH - youth mental health, social capital and help-seeking: a study protocol. Frontiers in Public Health, 12, Article ID 1406649.
Open this publication in new window or tab >>SoCap YMH - youth mental health, social capital and help-seeking: a study protocol
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2024 (English)In: Frontiers in Public Health, E-ISSN 2296-2565, Vol. 12, article id 1406649Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Background: The increase in adolescents reporting mental health problems presents a major public health challenge. The complex association between mental health and social capital motivates further investigation of social capital as a crucial aspect in shaping adolescents' help-seeking knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours. Aim: This protocol presents a project that aims to investigate social capital in relation to help-seeking and mental health in close collaboration with adolescents and key stakeholders in the school setting, in the southern part of Sweden. Methods: A mixed-method design with three interconnected work packages (WP) will be undertaken with an emphasis on co-production where adolescents are involved throughout the process. WP1 is a development and validation of two questionnaire instruments for assessing social capital and help-seeking in adolescence. WP2 is a longitudinal quantitative study involving 1,500 adolescents from two regions representing rural and suburban/urban settings. Adolescents aged 15 will be asked to complete questionnaires concerning social capital, mental health, and help-seeking in a baseline and one-year follow-up, allowing for investigation of the role of social capital for help-seeking. WP3 is designed to elucidate experiences and knowledge of adolescents and key stakeholders via collaborative World Café workshops. These will be held along the project to evolve the generated knowledge and maximize it's applicability during and after the project is finalized. Conclusion: The results are expected to further the understanding of the relationship between adolescents' social capital, mental health, and help-seeking, to contribute to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms behind the paradoxical help-seeking patterns among adolescents today and to narrow the gap between research and practice to produce sustainable and efficient strategies, which may facilitate help-seeking and improve the mental health of adolescents within existing organizational structures. Copyright © 2024 Ahlborg, Morgan, Svedberg, Nygren, Eriksson and Westberg.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Lausanne: Frontiers Media S.A., 2024
Keywords
adolescence, co-production, help-seeking, mental health, social capital
National Category
Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology
Research subject
Health Innovation, IDC
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:hh:diva-54287 (URN)10.3389/fpubh.2024.1406649 (DOI)001253105100001 ()38919916 (PubMedID)2-s2.0-85197048034 (Scopus ID)
Funder
The Kamprad Family Foundation, 20223264
Available from: 2024-07-12 Created: 2024-07-12 Last updated: 2024-09-04Bibliographically approved
Häggström Westberg, K., Nyholm, M., Nygren, J. M. & Svedberg, P. (2022). Mental Health Problems among Young People—A Scoping Review of Help-Seeking. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(3), Article ID 1430.
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Mental Health Problems among Young People—A Scoping Review of Help-Seeking
2022 (English)In: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, ISSN 1661-7827, E-ISSN 1660-4601, Vol. 19, no 3, article id 1430Article, review/survey (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Young people’s mental health is a public health priority, particularly as mental health problems in this group seem to be increasing. Even in countries with supposedly good access to healthcare, few young people seek support for mental health problems. The aim of this study was twofold, firstly to map the published literature on young people’s experiences of seeking help for mental health problems and secondly to validate whether the Lost in Space model was adaptable as a theoretical model of the help-seeking process described in the included articles in this scoping review. A scoping review was conducted in which we searched for literature on mental health help-seeking with a user perspective published between 2010 and 2020 in different databases. From the 2905 studies identified, we selected 12 articles for inclusion. The review showed how young people experience unfamiliarity and insecurity with regard to issues related to mental health and help-seeking. A strong wish for self-reliance and to safe-guard one’s own health were consistent among young people. Support structures were often regarded as inaccessible and unresponsive. There was a high level of conformity between the model on help-seeking and the analysed articles, reinforcing that help-seeking is a dynamic and psychosocial process. © 2022 by the authors.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Basel: MDPI, 2022
Keywords
Help-seeking, Mental health, Scoping review, User perspective, Young people
National Category
Other Health Sciences
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:hh:diva-45810 (URN)10.3390/ijerph19031430 (DOI)000756302500001 ()35162452 (PubMedID)2-s2.0-85123608033 (Scopus ID)
Note

Som manuskript i avhandling / As manuscript in thesis; Earlier title: Seeking help for mental health problems among young people – a scoping review

Available from: 2021-11-01 Created: 2021-11-01 Last updated: 2023-02-22Bibliographically approved
Häggström Westberg, K. (2021). Exploring mental health and potential health assets in young people. (Doctoral dissertation). Halmstad: Halmstad University Press
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Exploring mental health and potential health assets in young people
2021 (English)Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

Young people in Sweden generally claim to have a good quality of life, but also report increasing mental health problems. It is a concern that only a minority of young people seek and/or access support when encountering mental health problems as mental health is a fundamental human right and integral to a positive development in both childhood and throughout the lifespan. There are uncertainties as to how to facilitate help-seeking and promote mental health among young people and previous studies have often focused on risk-reduction. A shift from a pathological view to a resource-based perspective of mental health can be achieved by adopting a health assets’ approach. This approach also ascribes due emphasis to the fact that mental health is developed within a social context, where both individual and structural health assets, such as the support system, are of importance. With this in mind, the overall aim of this thesis was to explore individual and structural health assets in relation to the mental health of young people.

This thesis is based on four studies using both quantitative (Studies I and II) and qualitative (Study III) methods as well as a scoping review method with a qualitative synthesis (Study IV). Studies I and II had a cross-sectional design and utilized data from self-reported health-related ratings collected in schools in 2011. The association between socio-economic determinants and self-rated mental health in two age groups (11-13 and 14-16) was explored in Study I, and optimism and pessimism as a bi-dimensional construct, and its impact on health-related quality of life and potential to function as a health asset was explored in Study II. In Studies III and IV, the help- seeking process was explored from the perspective of young people, firstly with constructivist grounded theory in Study III based on interviews of young people seeking help for mental health problems within a local setting, and secondly, through a scoping review examination and qualitative synthesis of national and international literature on help-seeking in Study IV.

The results identified potential health assets on both individual and structural levels. The explored health assets on an individual level were socio-economic status and socio-demographic factors (Study I), dispositional optimism (Study II) and individual resources for help-seeking (Studies III and IV), while health assets on a structural level were explored through the experience of and perceptions of young people’s help-seeking process

(Studies III and IV). The individual health assets of socio-economic status and migratory background were seen to affect mental health differently for boys and girls with the boys being susceptible to an accumulation of socio-economic risk factors including family wealth affecting their mental health negatively, and the mental health of the young girls with a migratory background being affected positively (Study I).The individual health asset of optimism was found to be potentially supportive for help-seeking and mental health (Study II). Young people were optimistic about their future but there was a significant decrease in optimism and health-related quality of life, and a significant increase in pessimism, with age. Optimism was independently and positively associated with a high level of health-related quality of life among young people, even when adjusting for parents’ marital status, family country background and gender. Knowledge and a desire for self-reliance were identified as potential individual health assets mainly in regard to the help-seeking process (Studies III and IV). Young people expressed how their knowledge of mental health and the support system was inadequate, rendering a feeling of insecurity, however, they also expressed a strong desire for self-reliance in regard to their mental health. Help-seeking was characterised as a dynamic and psychosocial process without sequentially fixed stages. Potential health assets on a structural level were identified as support through social networks, and a responsive, collective and accessible support system. However, young people perceived the support system as unresponsive, focused on protocol instead of person, fragmented and spread, and lacking in accessibility. The results implied that equipping young people with sufficient knowledge would capitalize on the individual health assets of self-reliance and optimism, conducive to help-seeking and mental health, but that the support system needs to improve in order to meet the particular needs of young people.

Abstract [sv]

Unga människor i Sverige uppger generellt att de har en god livskvalitet. Samtidigt rapporteras om en ökad psykisk ohälsa hos ungdomar vilket gör området till en nationell prioritet. Psykiska problem debuterar ofta i ungdomen och fortsätter in i vuxen ålder. Det är dock få ungdomar som söker hjälp. En stor del av tidigare forskning har ägnats åt ungdomar med psykisk sjukdom, kanske för att dessa är lättare att identifiera än ungdomar som befinner sig i en mer odefinierbar ”gråskala” av psykisk ohälsa. Detta innebär dock att även de som löper en uppbenbar risk för att utveckla psykisk sjukdom hänvisas till egna resurser och nätverk för att ta hand om psykiska problem. För att samhället ska kunna nå ungdomar för hälsofrämjande stöd och insatser, är det av vikt att vi får utökade kunskaper om hur hjälpsökande och psykisk hälsa kan förstärkas. Denna avhandling har utgått från ett resursperspektiv för att öka kunskapen om hur den psykisk hälsan kan främjas hos ungdomar. Ett sådant perspektiv betonar en syn på hälsa där både strukturella och individuella resurser anses samverka för utveckling av psykisk hälsa. Syftet med avhandlingen har varit att utforska individuella och strukturella resurser som kan ha betydelse för ungdomars psykiska hälsa. 

Denna sammanläggningsavhandling bygger på fyra delstudier. Studie I, II och III har utförts inom samma geografiska område, en sydsvensk medelstor tätort. Studie I och II i avhandlingen har använt kvantitativa metoder och är tvärsnittsstudier utifrån data insamlat under hösten 2011 på skolor. Materialet gav en ögonblicksbild av ungdomars självskattade hälsa, livskvalitet och optimism inför framtiden relaterat till individuella faktorer socio-ekonomisk status och socio-demografi. Studie III och IV har utforskat hjälpsökande processen genom två olika metoder; studie III var en kvalitativ intervjustudie med syfte att undersöka hjälpsökande utifrån ungdomars upplevelse och perspektiv, där en konstruktivistisk grundad teori användes. Studie IV var en litteraturstudie – scoping review, också med fokus på ungdomars upplevelse av hjälpsökande, där en kvalitativ, tematisk analys användes, dels för att få en djupare och mer nyanserad förståelse av ungdomars upplevelse av hjälpsökande-processen, men också för att validera fynden från studie III. Potentiella hälsorelaterade resurser identifierades på både individuell och strukturell nivå. Socio-ekonomisk status och sociodemografiska faktorer hade olika samband med psykisk hälsa för pojkar och flickor (studie I). Pojkar verkade vara mer känsliga för faktorer som välstånd och en ansamling av riskfaktorer, med en negativ påverkan på deras psykiska hälsa. Sociodemografiska faktorer utgjorde en resurs för hälsa så till vida att psykisk hälsa hos yngre flickor med utländsk bakgrund påverkades positivt. Optimism befanns vara en potentiell resurs för hälsa hos både pojkar och flickor då optimism hade ett samband med hälso-relaterad livskvalitet oberoende av sociodemografiska faktorer så som kön och bakgrund (studie II). Hjälpsökande processen definierades som en dynamisk och psykosocial process utan fasta steg eller fast ordning (studie III och IV). Ungdomar upplevde hjälpsökande-processen som svårnavigerad och uttryckte en uppfattning att stödsystemet var otillgängligt, fragmenterat och oflexibelt (studie III och IV). De såg vanligtvis inte primärvården som ett lämpligt ställe att söka vård, tyckte att åldersregler var begränsande och ansåg att de var tvungna att söka stöd på flera ställen för att få sina behov tillgodosedda, ofta utifrån medicinska kriterier (studie III och IV). Ungdomar uttryckte också att de hade för lite kunskap om psykisk hälsa och stödsystemet (studie III och IV) och de eftersträvade en självständighet (studie III och IV). Kunskap och självständighet kunde därför ses som möjliga individuella resurser för psykisk hälsa. Likaså kunde stöd från viktiga personer i ungdomars närhet, och personliga nätverk ha stor betydelse för hjälpsökande och psykisk hälsa. 

Föreliggande avhandling bidrar med kunskap om möjliga resurser för att främja ungdomars psykiska hälsa. Ungdomars egna perspektiv på individuella och strukturella faktorer för att främja den psykiska hälsan var ett viktigt bidrag för ökad kunskap inom området. Utifrån ungdomars perspektiv, behöver deras kunskap om psykisk hälsa förstärkas, och de behöver förstå när, hur och var de kan söka hjälp. Optimism hade ett samband med upplevelsen av livskvalitet. Interventioner som är riktade till att öka ungdomars kunskap om psykisk hälsa och stärkande av optimism skulle behöva utvecklas tillsammans med ungdomarna själva, och här är skolan en möjlig arena eftersom man då når alla ungdomar. Ytterligare anpassningar för ungdomars möjlighet att få stöd behövs, t.ex. behöver stöd vara mer lättillgängligt och samlat så att ungdomar inte måste söka vård på flera olika ställen. Stödet behöver vara mer flexibelt, fokuserat på ungdomars individuella situation och personcentrerat.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Halmstad: Halmstad University Press, 2021. p. 106
Series
Halmstad University Dissertations ; 81
Keywords
Mental health, health assets, young people, adolescents, help-seeking, user perspective
National Category
Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:hh:diva-45811 (URN)978-91-88749-71-0 (ISBN)978-91-88749-72-7 (ISBN)
Public defence
2021-12-03, Baertlingsalen, Kristian IV:s väg 3, Halmstad, 13:00 (Swedish)
Opponent
Supervisors
Available from: 2021-11-04 Created: 2021-11-03 Last updated: 2021-11-04
Häggström Westberg, K., Nygren, J. M., Nyholm, M., Carlsson, I.-M. & Svedberg, P. (2020). Lost in Space - an exploration of help-seeking among young people with mental health problems: a constructivist grounded theory study. Archives of Public Health, 78, Article ID 93.
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Lost in Space - an exploration of help-seeking among young people with mental health problems: a constructivist grounded theory study
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2020 (English)In: Archives of Public Health, ISSN 0778-7367, E-ISSN 2049-3258, Vol. 78, article id 93Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Background: Mental health problems among young people is a worldwide public health concern. There has been an increase in mental health problems among young people in the Nordic countries in the last 25 years, particularly in Sweden. Despite this increase, international research has repeatedly shown that young people do not access or receive support when encountering mental health problems. The purpose of this study was to explore the process of help-seeking for professional support among young people with mental health problems. Methods: The study used qualitative constructivist Grounded Theory and open-ended interviews. Thirteen young people between 15 and 23, recruited from two local support clinics, were interviewed. Results: Lost in space emerged as the core category, capturing aspects of both the experience of self and mental health problems as well as the process of seeking and acquiring help from professional support systems. The study identified several prominent barriers for seeking and acquiring professional help for mental health problems. The young people expressed a lack of knowledge on mental health issues and support services and substantial efforts were made to try to cope with problems on one’s own. Lost in space involved Drifting - trying to make sense of own experiences and struggling to cope with problems, Navigating - searching for help through multiple attempts and contacts and Docking - finding support with something/somebody that feels right. Conclusions: The theoretical model sheds light on how young people with mental health problems were met with fragmented support services. Society needs to provide encompassing, youth-friendly and flexible support services, so that attempts at help-seeking are not missed. © The Author(s). 2020

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Brussels: Institut Scientifique de Sante Publique / Scientific Institut of Public Health, 2020
Keywords
Sweden, mental health, young people, help-seeking, support services, grounded theory
National Category
Nursing
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:hh:diva-43346 (URN)10.1186/s13690-020-00471-6 (DOI)000578585200002 ()33042539 (PubMedID)2-s2.0-85092284075 (Scopus ID)
Note

Funding: The County of Halland, Sweden (grant numbers 68995 and 723861, 2017), The Swedish Partnership for Mental Health (NSPH) (2016) and The Swedish Society of Nursing (2019).

Available from: 2020-10-27 Created: 2020-10-27 Last updated: 2021-11-03Bibliographically approved
Häggström Westberg, K., Wilhsson, M., Svedberg, P., Nygren, J. M., Morgan, A. & Nyholm, M. (2019). Optimism as a Candidate Health Asset: Exploring Its Links with Adolescent Quality of Life in Sweden. Child Development, 90(3), 970-984
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Optimism as a Candidate Health Asset: Exploring Its Links with Adolescent Quality of Life in Sweden
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2019 (English)In: Child Development, ISSN 0009-3920, E-ISSN 1467-8624, Vol. 90, no 3, p. 970-984Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

This study aims to understand the role that optimism could play in the context of a health asset approach to promote adolescent health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Adolescents (n = 948), between 11 and 16 years old from a medium-sized rural town in Sweden, answered questionnaires measuring optimism, pessimism, and HRQOL. The findings indicate a significant decrease in optimism and a significant increase in pessimism between early and mid adolescence. The study has allowed us to present associational evidence of the links between optimism and HRQOL. This infers the potential of an optimistic orientation about the future to function as a health asset during adolescence and by implication may provide additional intervention tools in the planning of health promotion strategies. © 2017 The Authors

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Hoboken: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Inc., 2019
National Category
Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:hh:diva-35034 (URN)10.1111/cdev.12958 (DOI)000477640100026 ()28922470 (PubMedID)2-s2.0-85065044168 (Scopus ID)
Available from: 2017-09-20 Created: 2017-09-20 Last updated: 2022-06-07Bibliographically approved
Hutton, K., Nyholm, M., Nygren, J. & Svedberg, P. (2014). Self-rated mental health and socio-economic background: a study of adolescents in Sweden. BMC Public Health, 14(1), Article ID 394.
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Self-rated mental health and socio-economic background: a study of adolescents in Sweden
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2014 (English)In: BMC Public Health, E-ISSN 1471-2458, Vol. 14, no 1, article id 394Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Background: Adolescents' mental health is a major public health issue. Previous research has shown that socio-economic factors contribute to the health status of adolescents. The present study explores the association between socio-economic status and self-rated mental health among adolescents.

Methods: Cross sectional data from the Halmstad Youth Quality of Life cohort was collected in a town in Sweden. In all, 948 adolescents (11-13 younger age group and 14-16 older age group) participated. Information on self-rated mental health was collected from the subscale Psychological functioning in the Minneapolis Manchester Quality of Life instrument. The items were summarized into a total score and dichotomized by the mean. Indicators measuring socio-economic status (SES) were collected in a questionnaire using the Family Affluence Scale (FAS) and additional factors regarding parents' marital status and migration were added. Logistic models were used to analyze the data.

Results: Girls were more likely to rate their mental health below the mean compared to boys. With regard to FAS (high, medium, low), there was a significantly increased risk of self-rated mental health below the mean among younger boys in the medium FAS score OR; 2.68 (95% CI 1.35;5.33) and among older boys in the low FAS score OR; 2.37 (1.02;5.52) compared to boys in the high FAS score. No such trend was seen among girls. For younger girls there was a significant protective association between having parents born abroad and self-rated mental health below mean OR: 0.47 (0.24;0.91).

Conclusions: A complex pattern of associations between SES and self-rated mental health, divergent between age and gender groups, was shown. The total FAS score was only associated with boys' self-rated mental health in both age groups, whereas parents' migratory status influenced only the girls' self-rated mental health. Because of the different association for girls' and boys' self-rated mental health and SES, other factors than SES should also be considered when investigating and exploring the mental health of adolescents in affluent communities. © 2014 Hutton et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
London: BioMed Central, 2014
Keywords
Adolescents, Self-rated mental health, Socio-economic status, Family affluence scale
National Category
Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology Nursing
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:hh:diva-25215 (URN)10.1186/1471-2458-14-394 (DOI)000336859500001 ()24758209 (PubMedID)2-s2.0-84901486949 (Scopus ID)
Funder
Swedish Research Council
Note

The study was funded by grants to P S and J N from Region Halland, Halmstad Kommun, Ljungbergska foundation, Länsförsäkringar Halland and to J N from the Swedish Research Council.

Available from: 2014-04-30 Created: 2014-04-30 Last updated: 2023-08-28Bibliographically approved
Svedberg, P., Nygren, J. M., Hutton, K. & Nyholm, M. (2014). Self-reported objective and subjective indicators of socio-economic status and mental health between two adolescent age groups in Sweden. Paper presented at 7th European Public Health Conference, 19-22 November 2014, Glasgow, UK. European Journal of Public Health, 24(Suppl. 2), 31-31
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Self-reported objective and subjective indicators of socio-economic status and mental health between two adolescent age groups in Sweden
2014 (English)In: European Journal of Public Health, ISSN 1101-1262, E-ISSN 1464-360X, Vol. 24, no Suppl. 2, p. 31-31Article in journal, Meeting abstract (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Background: Research has shown that socio-economic status (SES) contributes to the mental health of adolescents; however the causality of this effect is debated. SES among adolescents is methodologically difficult to assess and SES indicators differ between age groups. The aim of this study was to evaluate objective and subjective indicators of SES and their relation to mental health in two adolescent age groups.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study based on data collected by self- report questionnaires from 11-13 years old n = 457 (younger age group) and 14-16 years old n = 462 (older age group) adolescents at schools in a rural town in south western Sweden. The Family Affluence Scale (FAS) (high, medium, low) and Perceived Wealth (PW) (high, medium, low) were used as measurement for objective and subjective socio-economic wealth. The domain psychological functioning health from the Minneapolis Manchester Quality of Life instrument (MMQL-PF) (continuous variable) was used to measure self-rated mental health.

Results: When measuring SES using the two different scales, the proportion of adolescents in the younger age group stating a low SES was 28.1% using FAS and 12.1% using PW. In the older age group the proportion was 21.4% in FAS and 15.5% in PW. There was a positive significant relation between PW and self-rated mental health in both age groups, by 0.112 (95% CI.0.024; 0.199) in the younger age group and by 0.140 (95% CI.0.051; 0.223) in the older age group. This relation was not seen regarding FAS.

Conclusion: In the search for SES’ relation to mental health, different aspects of adolescents’ socio-economic conditions should be considered. In this study we suggest that the subjective experiences of adolescents regarding the wealth of the family might be a stronger indicator of SES influencing mental health. This might be taken into consideration when planning for public health interventions and effective prevention programs suited for adolescents with lower SES. 

Key message:

  • In the search for SES’ relation to mental health, different aspects of adolescents’ socio-economic conditions should be considered.

© The Author 2014

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2014
Keywords
socio-economic status, mental health, adolescent
National Category
Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:hh:diva-33677 (URN)10.1093/eurpub/cku151.067 (DOI)
Conference
7th European Public Health Conference, 19-22 November 2014, Glasgow, UK
Available from: 2017-04-05 Created: 2017-04-05 Last updated: 2020-10-27Bibliographically approved
Hutton, K., Nygren, J., Nyholm, M. & Svedberg, P. (2013). Low self-rated mental health among Swedish adolescent boys and its relationship to socioeconomic factors. In: : . Paper presented at 6th European Public Health Conference Health in Europe, Brussels, Belgium, 13–16 November, 2013 (pp. 251-252). Oxford: Oxford University Press
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Low self-rated mental health among Swedish adolescent boys and its relationship to socioeconomic factors
2013 (English)Conference paper, Oral presentation with published abstract (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

Background

Adolescents mental health is a major public health concern and studies have shown that socioeconomic factors contribute to the experienced health of adolescents. Girls’ mental health, more than boys’ mental health, is often discussed. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the association between self-rated mental health and socioeconomic factors among boys and we hypothesized that household wealth influences the association.

Methods

In 2011, a cross-sectional study was conducted at seven junior high schools in a medium sized town in south western Sweden. The data collected was based on a self-administrated questionnaire regarding socioeconomic factors, household wealth and health related quality of life (Minnesota Minneapolis Quality of Life Instrument (MMQL). In all, 235 boys between 11-13 years old and 254 boys between 14-16 years participated. The items from MMQL were summarized into a total score and dichotomized by the median and low self-rated mental health was defined as below median. Logistic regression analysis was used.

Results

Among younger boys no association between low self-rated mental health and socioeconomic factors were seen. Among older boys with divorced parents, an increased risk of low mental health rating was seen OR: 1.83 (95%CI, 1.04;3.23), however when adjusting for household wealth the association disappeared (OR;1.76, CI 0.98;3.15). Also, having one or two parents born outside Sweden implied increased risk of a low self-rated mental health OR: 2.0 (CI; 1.15;3.47), which remained when adjusting for household wealth variables (OR; 2.16 CI; 1.17;3.99). Furthermore, having two or more negative socioeconomic variables increased the risk of low rated mental health (OR;2.60, CI 1.15;5.90) the association remained after adjusting for household wealth (OR;2.38, CI 1.03;5.33).

Conclusions

Boys with divorced parents, boys from migrant backgrounds and boys with several negative socioeconomic factors constituted the identified subgroups at risk. More research in public health is essential to meet the special needs of different age groups and backgrounds among adolescent boys.

Key messages

  • Among older boys (14-16 years old) with divorced parents, an increased risk of low mental health rating was seen, however when adjusting for household wealth the association disappeared.
  • Among older boys (14-16 years old) having two or more negative socioeconomic variables increased the risk of low rated mental health, the association remained after adjusting for household wealth.

© The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013
Series
European Journal of Public Health, ISSN 1464-360X ; Vol. 23; Suppl. 1
National Category
Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology Nursing
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:hh:diva-25217 (URN)10.1093/eurpub/ckt124.036 (DOI)
Conference
6th European Public Health Conference Health in Europe, Brussels, Belgium, 13–16 November, 2013
Available from: 2014-04-30 Created: 2014-04-30 Last updated: 2020-10-27Bibliographically approved
Svedberg, P., Hutton, K., Einberg, E.-L. & Nygren, J. (2012). Barn och ungdomars självskattade hälsa: En undersökning i Halmstad kommun. Halmstad: Högskolan i Halmstad
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Barn och ungdomars självskattade hälsa: En undersökning i Halmstad kommun
2012 (Swedish)Report (Other academic)
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Halmstad: Högskolan i Halmstad, 2012. p. 9
National Category
Health Sciences
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:hh:diva-27691 (URN)
Available from: 2015-02-03 Created: 2015-02-03 Last updated: 2020-10-27Bibliographically approved
Häggström Westberg, K., Wilhsson, M., Svedberg, P., Nygren, J. M., Antony, M. & Nyholm, M.Exploring the role of optimism as a protective factor for adolescent quality of life.
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Exploring the role of optimism as a protective factor for adolescent quality of life
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(English)Manuscript (preprint) (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

This study attempts to understand the role that optimism could play in the context of a health asset approach to promote (and protect) adolescent health related quality of life (HRQOL).  Two hypotheses were formulated, a) there is an association between adolescents’ self-rated optimism and pessimism and their HRQOL, (b) age, gender and socio-demographic characteristics influence this association. We explore optimism and pessimism as a bi-dimensional construct and its impact on HRQOL among adolescents in two age groups (11-13 years and 14-16 years). Adolescents answered a self-report questionnaire consisting of two validated scales for measuring HRQOL and the concepts of optimism and pessimism. This study has shown that optimism is an important protective factor for HRQOL and low levels of pessimism were also seen to be protective of HRQOL in both age groups.  This infers the potential of an optimistic orientation about future goals might function as a health asset during adolescence that could be useful in the planning of health promotion strategies.

Keywords
Health related quality of life, Transition to adulthood, Adolescence, Optimism, Pessimism, Family structure
National Category
Nursing
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:hh:diva-34386 (URN)
Note

Som manuskript i avhandling. / As manuscript in dissertation.

Available from: 2017-06-28 Created: 2017-06-28 Last updated: 2020-10-27Bibliographically approved
Projects
Social capital for identification and support of young people's mental Health;
Organisations
Identifiers
ORCID iD: ORCID iD iconorcid.org/0000-0002-1324-558x

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