Loneliness, subjective health complaints, and medicine use among Finnish adolescents 2006–2018

Nelli Lyyra · Niina Junttila · Jorma Tynjälä · Jari Juhani Villberg · Raili S. Välimaa

38 citations0/0 files storedScandinavian Journal of Public Health

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Health disparities and outcomes Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development COVID-19 and Mental Health

Abstract

Aims: Loneliness is an important public health challenge for all ages. This study reports time trends of loneliness among adolescents over a 12-year period and analyses the strength of the associations between loneliness, health complaints, and medicine use. Methods: Data were derived from the cross-sectional Finnish Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study conducted in 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018. The study population is based on a random sample of schools with 20,444 participants aged 11–15 years. The trends were analysed with a Mantel–Haenszel test, and the strength of the associations was evaluated by mixed-effects logistic and linear regressions. Results: An increasing prevalence in frequent loneliness (2006: 11%; 2018: 15%) was evident over the 12-year study period, especially in girls and 15-year-olds. Among all adolescents, loneliness was associated with a higher risk of recurrent health complaints and medicine use to treat the corresponding health issues, especially nervousness (odds ratio 5.8) and sleeping difficulties (odds ratio 7.6). Conclusions: Adolescence is a period of higher risk of frequent loneliness and associated health complaints. In this study, loneliness was common among adolescence and an increasing trend of loneliness was observed between 2006 and 2018. Also, psychosomatic health complaints and medicine use were strongly associated with loneliness. Persistent loneliness is a significant health risk and failure to resolve loneliness before entering adulthood may imply significant concerns for future well-being.

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References

2017An overview of systematic reviews on the public health consequences of social isolation and loneliness 2015Loneliness 2017Loneliness and Social Internet Use: Pathways to Reconnection in a Digital World?1985Gender Differences in Loneliness 2001Subjective health complaints in adolescence—Reliability and validity of survey methods 2021Worldwide increases in adolescent loneliness 2001Subjective health complaints in adolescence: a cross-national comparison of prevalence and dimensionality 2013Trajectories of loneliness during childhood and adolescence: Predictors and health outcomes

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