Associations between Mental Health, Lifestyle Factors and Worries about Climate Change in Norwegian Adolescents

The perceived impact of climate change on mental health and suicidality in Kenyan high school students

BACKGROUND

Climate change has psychological impacts but most of the attention has been focused on the physical impact. This study was aimed at determining the association of climate change with adolescent mental health and suicidality as reported by Kenyan high school students.

METHODS

This was a cross sectional study with a sample size of 2,652. The participants were high school students selected from 10 schools in 3 regions of Kenya. A questionnaire was used to assess climate change experiences, mental health problems, and suicidality of the youth. Data were analyzed descriptively and with logistic regression to determine various associations of the different variables and the predictors of the various scores of SDQ and suicidality at 95% CI.

RESULTS

Significant differences were observed between gender and two of the threats of climate change - worry and being afraid as subjectively experienced by the participants. Females were more worried and afraid of climate change than males. On univariate and multivariate logistic regression, we found that various experiences of climate change were significantly associated with various scores of SDQ and much fewer of the experiences predicted SDQ scores. The same pattern was reflected in suicidality.

CONCLUSION

Climate change appears to be associated with mental health concerns and suicidality according to Kenyan high school students' reports with gender differences in some associations.

Climate Change Perception and Mental Health. Results from a Systematic Review of the Literature

Climate change is one of the main global challenges and influences various aspects of human health. Numerous studies have indeed demonstrated an association between extreme climate-related events and physical and mental health outcomes, but little is still known about the association between the perception/awareness of climate change and mental health. In accordance with the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, a search was conducted on PubMed and Scopus. The protocol was registered on PROSPERO. The included studies were original observational studies published in English, reporting the association between the perception/awareness of climate change and mental health. A total of 3018 articles were identified. A total of 10 observational studies were included. The period covered in the included studies ranged between 2012 and 2022. Climate change perception is consistently associated with adverse mental health effects across different types of estimates. In particular, the studies identified an association between a higher level of perception/awareness of climate change and depression, anxiety, eco-anxiety, stress, adjustment disorder, substance use, dysphoria, and even thoughts of suicide. Qualitative data underscore the impact on daily activities, contributing to feelings of loss and suicidal ideation. Moreover, climate change perception correlates with lower well-being and resilience. The association between awareness of climate change and mental health is a complex and still poorly explored phenomenon. The main limitations are the high heterogeneity in terms of exposure assessment and data reporting, which hinders quantitative analysis. These results show that climate change perception impacts mental health. Better understanding the phenomenon represents an opportunity to inform public health interventions that promote mental well-being.

Time trends in self-reported depressive symptoms, prescription of antidepressants, sedatives and hypnotics and the emergence of social media among Norwegian adolescents

BACKGROUND

Research has shown increased mental health problems and use of prescription drugs among adolescents in recent years and social media use has been linked to poorer mental health. However, trend studies concerning these topics are scarce. The purpose of this study was to analyze gender-specific trends in a) symptoms of depression and loneliness, and b) prescription of antidepressants, hypnotics and sedatives, in relation to the emergence of social media among adolescents in Norway.

METHODS

This is an ecological study using data from the 'Young in Oslo' surveys from 1996 to 2021. The surveys included approximately 110 000 students, 14-17 years of age, and yielded a response rate varying from 95% in 1996 to 64% in 2021. A self-report questionnaire was used to collect information on symptoms of depression and loneliness. Information on antidepressant and sleep medication prescription was retrieved from the Norwegian Prescription Database for the age group 15 to 19 years. A graphical approach and logistic regression models were used to examine gender-specific time-trends between 1996 to 2021.

RESULTS

We found a doubling in self-reported symptoms of depression and loneliness among girls between 1996 and 2021, with the steepest increase in the period from 2006 to 2012, when Facebook and other social media were introduced. A similar trend was observed in the prescription of antidepressants among girls, with the steepest increase between 2011 and 2013. Among both boys and girls, 'worried too much about things' and 'had sleep problems' were the two symptoms with the greatest changes.

CONCLUSION

A significant upward trend in self-reported depressive symptoms and medication use was observed over the past 25 years, with variations in the rate of increase, including a steeper trajectory during certain periods immediately after the introduction of social media platforms in Norway.

Child and Adolescent Psychological Reactions to Climate Change: A Narrative Review Through an Existential Lens

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

A narrative review was conducted on research surrounding children's and adolescents' experiences of emotional and mental health and wellbeing in relation to climate change; we also explored potential connections to existential themes.

RECENT FINDINGS

Children and adolescents represent a vulnerable group in relation to experiencing negative mental health impacts due to climate change. Further, this population experiences a wide range of emotions in relation to climate change, with most research reporting on worry and anxiety. Several studies that explored associations between such emotions and mental health outcomes found positive associations. Additionally, research suggests that there is an existential underpinning to how climate change is experienced by children and adolescents. Although important contributions have been made in recent years, knowledge gaps remain. An understanding of the psychological responses children and adolescents have in relation to climate change is needed to inform practice and policy. This may be supported by an existential framework.

Two years COVID-19 pandemic: Development of university students' mental health 2020-2022

Background

The literature indicates a negative impact on the mental health of university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. It remains unclear if this negative impact persists even after lockdown measures are lifted. The current study therefore investigates the mental health status of students by drawing on two previous studies the present study seeks to investigate differences in the mental health status across three time points.

Methods

A cross-sectional, anonymous online survey among students of six universities was conducted between April and May 2022 (N = 5,510). Symptoms of depression, anxiety, hazardous alcohol use and eating disorders as well as social and emotional variables were assessed utilizing standardized instruments. Risk- and protective factors for severity of depressive and anxiety symptoms were investigated using multiple regression models. Differences in e.g., symptoms of depression across three time points were assessed with one-way analysis of variance.

Results

More than one third of students exhibited clinically relevant symptoms of depression (35.5%), hazardous alcohol use (33.0-35.5% depending on gender) or anxiety disorder (31.1%). Taken together, almost two out of three (61.4%) students reported clinically relevant symptoms in at least one of the aforementioned symptom patterns, while almost one fifth of students reported suicidal ideation or thoughts of self-harm (19.6%). Higher perceived stress and loneliness significantly predicted higher levels of depressive symptoms, while resilience and social support were identified as protective factors. Compared to 2020 and 2021, levels of depressive symptoms were significantly reduced in 2022, levels of hazardous alcohol consumption showed a small but significant increase from 2021 to 2022. Worryingly, prevalence of suicidal ideation was the highest yet, being significantly higher than in 2020 (14.5%) and 2021 (16.5%).

Conclusion

These results confirm previous results that the pandemic had and still has a negative impact on the mental health of university students. The present study broadens this view by the fact that some areas seem to recover quicker, while others seem to increase worryingly. Especially the persistent rise in suicidal ideation from 2020 to 2021 and to 2022, a constant reduction in reported social support and associated perceived loneliness is concerning. The claim for low-threshold and accessible mental health support for university students remains the same as in the beginning of the pandemic.