Changes in delinquency according to socioeconomic status among Finnish adolescents from 2000 to 2015

Factors behind a remarkable increase in adolescent psychiatric inpatient treatment between 1980 and 2010 - a nationwide register study

PURPOSE

This register-based study aimed to evaluate trends in adolescent psychiatric inpatient care using nationwide data from three consecutive decades.

METHODS

The study population (N 17,112) comprised all Finnish citizens aged 13-17 receiving their first-ever psychiatric inpatient treatment between 1980 and 2010 in Finland. Information on inpatient care in the psychiatric hospital was obtained from the Hospital Discharge Register and the Care Register for Health Care, which contains data on all patients discharged from all Finnish inpatient psychiatric health services.

RESULTS

Inpatient admissions remained relatively stable until the early 1990s, after which a steady increase was seen, peaking in 2008 and more marked among females than males. In males, there was an increase in inpatient care episodes for externalizing disorder or mood disorder, and in females for mood disorder. Duration of first inpatient care decreased over time, but level of functioning on admission remained stable or even deteriorated. Females, patients first admitted in the 1980s or diagnosed with schizophrenia were more likely to be re-hospitalized during adolescence.

CONCLUSIONS

We reported an increase in adolescent psychiatric inpatient care from the latter half of the 1990s up to 2010, which could be explained by societal and policy changes. In particular, as the study period progressed a significant increase was seen in admissions of females and a global reduction of length of stay (LOS) with no concomitant increase in re-hospitalizations.

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

Background:

Mental health problems are common in adolescence and seeking help for them is becoming more common. Referrals to adolescent mental healthcare have recently increased in Finland.

Objective:

To examine time trends in internalizing and externalizing mental health symptoms among Finnish adolescents.

Method:

A time-trend school survey was conducted among 9^th graders (15-year-olds) in Tampere, Finland, in three time periods: 2002–03, 2012–13 and 2018–19 (N = 4,162).

Results:

Compared to the period 2002–03, prevalence of externalizing symptoms decreased in the period 2012–13 and further in 2018–19. The prevalence of internalizing symptoms did not change significantly between 2002–03 and 2012–13; however, in 2018–19, depression, social anxiety, general anxiety, poor subjective health, stress symptoms among boys, and poor self-esteem increased compared to earlier time periods. The increases were more marked among girls. However, suicidal ideation did not increase in 2018–19 compared to earlier time periods.

Conclusion:

Whereas the prevalence of externalizing symptoms decreased among Finnish adolescents between 2002–03 and 2018–19, the prevalence of internalizing symptoms increased between 2012–13 and 2018–19. To help to understand the causes of these increases and to prevent internalizing problems, further research on the underlying causes is needed.

Changes in cannabis use according to socioeconomic status among Finnish adolescents from 2000 to 2015

BACKGROUND

Despite reduced sanctions and more permissive attitudes toward cannabis use in the USA and Europe, the prevalences of adolescent cannabis use have remained rather stable in the twenty-first century. However, whether trends in adolescent cannabis use differ between socioeconomic groups is not known. The aim of this study was to examine trends in cannabis use according to socioeconomic status among Finnish adolescents from 2000 to 2015.

METHODS

A population-based school survey was conducted biennially among 14-16-year-old Finns between 2000 and 2015 (n = 761,278). Distributions for any and frequent cannabis use over time according to socioeconomic adversities were calculated using crosstabs and chi-square test. Associations between any and frequent cannabis use, time, and socioeconomic adversities were studied using binomial logistic regression results shown by odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals.

RESULTS

At the overall level, the prevalences of lifetime and frequent cannabis use varied only slightly between 2000 and 2015. Cannabis use was associated with socioeconomic adversities (parental unemployment in the past year, low parental education, and not living with both parents). The differences in any and frequent cannabis use between socioeconomic groups increased significantly over the study period.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the overall changes in the prevalence of adolescent cannabis use were modest, cannabis use increased markedly among adolescents with the most socioeconomic adversities. Socioeconomic adversities should be considered in the prevention of adolescent cannabis use.