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Changes over time in mental health symptoms among adolescents in Tampere, Finland

Open Access
|May 2021

Figures & Tables

Distributions of internalizing problems over time (% (n/N))

GirlsBoys
2002–20032012–20132018–2019 p * 2002–20032012–20132018–2019 p *
Depression11.4 (80/700)12.6 (83/657)23.9 (161/673)<0.0015.0 (39/783)3.3 (21/632)8.0 (57/709)0.001
Suicidal ideation0.9 (6/685)0.3 (2/650)0.6 (4/647)0.41.2 (9/778)0.2 (1/627)1.0 (7/700)0.09
Social anxiety9.4 (66/699)11.6 (76/656)28.3 (185/653)<0.0018.2 (64/782)6.0 (38/632)12.8 (87/679)<0.001
General anxiety27.0 (186/690)32.9 (214/650)38.4 (249/648)<0.00119.0 (144/757)15.2 (92/605)34.0 (233/685)<0.001
Anorexia14.3 (99/693)18.6 (121/650)18.6 (121/650)0.053.0 (23/770)1.3 (8/618)3.6 (24/676)0.03
Bulimia4.8 (33/693)5.3 (34/647)0.5 (3/648)0.0010.5 (4/768)0.3 (2/613)0.3 (2/689)0.7
Poor subjective health18.4 (128/697)14.9 (96/643)27.8 (185/665)<0.00114.5 (113/778)9.6 (57/595)17.0 (116/683)0.001
Poor self-esteem19.6 (136/694)20.8 (134/645)30.6 (199/650)<0.0018.9 (68/761)6.1 (38/619)9.6 (63/658)<0.001
Stress symptoms56.1 (393/685)55.3 (363/639)51.2 (346/642)0.439.0 (305/753)33.6 (214/597)50.1 (356/678)<0.001

The odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for externalizing problems for both sexes over time_ Age, parental education level, family structure and parental unemployment were controlled for

GirlsBoys
2002–20032012–20132018–20192002–20032012–20132018–2019
Lifetime drunkennessref* 0.4 (0.3–0.5)0.2 (0.1–0.2)ref0.4 (0.3–0.5)0.2 (0.2–0.3)
Frequent drunkennessref2.1 (1.5–2.8)0.3 (0.3–0.5)ref0.9 (0.7–1.1)0.2 (0.2–0.4)
Cannabis useref0.5 (0.3–0.9)0.5 (0.3–0.8)ref0.8 (0.5–1.1)0.6 (0.4–0.8)
Delinquencyref0.5 (0.3–0.7)0.4 (0.3–0.6)ref0.4 (0.2–0.6)0.3 (0.2–0.5)
Bullying othersref0.1 (0.01–0.8)0.2 (0.03–0.8)ref0.3 (0.1–0.6)0.2 (0.07–0.4)
Playing truantref1.1 (0.6–2.2)0.7 (0.4–1.5)ref0.9 (0.4–1.8)0.7 (0.3–1.7)

Distributions of socioeconomic characteristics in the study population (%)

GirlsBoys
2002–20032012–20132018–2019 p * 2002–20032012–20132018–2019 p *
N 700657676 783636710
Family structure
mother and father68.777.878.00.00369.777.883.1<0.001
other family structure25.720.719.5 22.919.514.5
missing 5.6 1.5 2.5  7.4 2.7 2.4
Both parents only basic education
no69.479.385.2<0.00168.787.484.6<0.001
yes20.0 9.3 5.6 18.3 7.7 4.4
missing10.611.4 9.2 13.012.611.0
Parental unemployment past year
no68.775.871.20.0273.172.375.50.4
one parent27.119.824.4 21.721.718.7
both parents 2.9 2.3 1.9  3.1 2.8 2.1
missing 1.3 2.1 2.5  2.2 3.1 3.7

The odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for internalizing problems for both sexes over time_ Age, parental education level, family structure and parental unemployment were controlled for

GirlsBoys
2002–20032012–20132018–20192002–20032012–20132018–2019
Depressionref* 1.2 (0.9–1.8)2.9 (2.0–4.0)ref0.6 (0.3–1.1)1.6 (1.0–2.7)
Suicidal ideationref0.4 (0.1–1.9)0.6 (0.1–2.4)ref 0.8 (0.2–3.2)
Social anxietyref1.3 (0.9–2.0)4.1 (3.0–5.8)ref0.7 (0.5–1.2)1.6 (1.1–2.3)
General anxietyref1.4 (1.1–1.8)3.3 (2.6–4.2)ref0.8 (0.6–1.1)1.2 (0.8–2.8)
Anorexiaref1.5 (1.1–2.1)1.5 (1.1–2.0)ref0.6 (0.2–1.3)1.5 (0.7–2.8)
Bulimiaref1.2 (0.7–2.0)1.4 (0.9–2.4)ref1.0 (0.2–5.7)1.3 (0.3–5.7)
Poor subjective healthref0.9 (0.7–1.3)1.9 (1.4–2.5)ref0.6 (0.4–0.9)1.3 (0-9–1.8)
Poor self-esteemref1.4 (1.0–1.8)2.1 (1.6–2.8)ref0.6 (0.4–1.0)1.1 (0.8–1.7)
Stress symptomsref1.0 (0.8–1.2)1.0 (0.7–1.2)ref0.8 (0.6–1.0)1.7 (1.3–2.0)

Distributions of externalizing problems over time (% (n/N))

GirlsBoys
2002–20032012–20132018–2019 p * 2002–20032012–20132018–2019 p *
Lifetime
drunkenness41.6 (290/697)21.9 (143/653)9.7 (63/649)<0.00138.9 (304/781)17.6 (110/624)11.1 (77/691)<0.001
Frequent
drunkenness16.8 (117/695)27.0 (176/651)4.4 (29/662)<0.00120.4 (159/781)16.5 (104/629)4.8 (34/702)<0.001
Cannabis use11.1 (78/700)5.3 (35/656)5.2 (34/653)<0.00112.1 (95/782)9.6 (60/628)6.2 (43/695)<0.001
Delinquency18.2 (127/699)9.0 (59/656)7.2 (48/667)<0.00116.1 (126/781)6.5 (41/633)5.7 (40/702)<0.001
Bullying others1.9 (13/697)0.3 (2/650)0.4 (3/669)0.0035.6 (44/781)2.1 (13/628)1.1 (8/702)<0.001
Playing truant4.0 (24/600)3.9 (22/557)2.8 (17/605)0.53.6 (25/690)3.1 (17/547)1.6 (10/625)0.07
Language: English
Page range: 96 - 104
Submitted on: Aug 8, 2020
Accepted on: May 8, 2021
Published on: May 15, 2021
Published by: Psychiatric Research Unit
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 1 times per year

© 2021 Noora Knaappila, Mauri Marttunen, Sari Fröjd, Riittakerttu Kaltiala, published by Psychiatric Research Unit
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.