Experiences of stress among adolescents with psychosomatic symptoms: An exploratory mixed-methods study based on public health survey data and interviews in the North-west of Scania, Sweden

Beskrivning

Background
Mental health disorders are a serious public health concern and the number one cause of disability among adolescents worldwide. In Sweden, mental ill health among adolescents doubled in the last decade, with stress and psychosomatic symptoms as potential risk factors. Exploratory mixed-methods studies on experiences of stress among adolescents may provide valuable insights for prevention.

Aim
To analyse stress experiences among adolescents who often experienced stress together with psychosomatic symptoms. Research questions: How do Swedish adolescents describe everyday experiences of stress? How do experiences of stress among Swedish adolescents relate to gender, age and factors highlighted as relevant by adolescents?

Method
Public health survey data from 2016 on 1405 adolescents in the North-west of Scania, Sweden, who often experienced stress and psychosomatic symptoms was analysed in an exploratory mixed-methods design. Stress experiences from open-ended text answers were analysed with qualitative content analysis and categorized quantitatively. Also, 5 interviews with adolescents in 2018 on stress experiences were analysed with qualitative content analysis. Adolescents’ ideas on correlations were tested on the survey data.

Results
Adolescents described experiences of being forced to neglect needs for rest, feeling impaired and experiencing unrealistic demands. Stress was often school-related and associated with a sense of limited influence on decisions in school and being female. Sleeping problems were common and increasing with age. Girls experienced more sadness, while boys felt more anger as an effect of stress. Although revealing similar negative stress effects, interviews also demonstrated adolescents’ ability to manage stress as well as ideas for prevention.

Conclusions
Adolescents’ own words revealed individual, context-bound and subjective stress experiences. This should not shift focus from contributing factors such as a changing employment market and gendered norms. Increasing adolescents’ sense of influence may be a key area to address.

Period	2018
Examinerad/handledd person	Rose-Marie Lindkvist
Examination/handledning vid	Socialmedicin och global hälsa
Omfattning	Internationell