More teenagers report high mental prosperity – but at the same time, those who are struggling to regulate their depressive symptoms significantly higher than the previous groups made the same age, according to a study by the University of Gothenburg.
The study, published in Newspaper of emotional references of disordersHe examined the changes in the way young teenagers in Sweden evaluated their depressive symptoms over two decades.
The researchers compared two groups of 13-16 years: one from 2004 and one from 2019-2020. Both groups evaluated their depressive symptoms using the internationally established children’s depression (CDI), a self -report assessment.
More extreme in mental well -being
The results show that the overall percentage of adolescents reporting that depressive symptoms increased from 21 % in 2004 to 29 % in 2019-2020-An an increase not considered dramatic in this context.
However, a basic shift is evident: more teenagers than before the report feels extremely good. In Group 2019-2020, 33 % had very low CDI scores, indicating strong mental prosperity, compared to just 15 % in 2004.
At the same time, those who fight for the report feel significantly worse than before. Teenagers with depressive symptoms in 2019-2020 rated themselves higher for self-detention and negative thoughts compared to their 2004 counterparts.
Those who report high levels of depressive symptoms today evaluate significantly higher than in previous groups. We also see remarkable increases in some areas, especially the self-proclaimed-something that mainly affects young women. ”
Carl Wikberg, province nurse and senior lecturer of Community Medicine and Public Health at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg
Despair but also hope
The evaluation of CDI measures various aspects of mental well -being, including negative mood, self -esteem, ineffectiveness and interpersonal problems. In the 2019-2020 group, three statements stood out among those reporting symptoms of depression:
- “Nothing is at all fun.”
- “I’m bad all the time.”
- “I can never be as good as other kids.”
“The fact that some young people say that strong self -employment is about and can make us feel despair, however, there is also hope: we see a greater percentage of adolescents at the much lower end of the scale, which means that their mental prosperity has improved.
Determination and support of youth at risk
While the study does not provide definitive answers about why these changes are happening, the researchers underline the role of the evolving public discourse on mental health. A more open attitude towards mental health and treatment can affect how young people describe their well -being in self -report estimates.
At the same time, the study highlights the importance of school health services and primary care in identifying adolescents with high CDI scores. Sorting tools such as CDI create opportunities for detecting and supporting those in need. The study included 617 adolescents (aged 13-16) from 2019-2020 as part of a larger research project for depression. The comparison team consists of 80 adolescents of the same age since 2004, who participated in a CDI validation study in a Swedish context.
Source:
Magazine report:
Wikberg, C., et al. (2025). Self-adoled depressed symptoms in adolescents comparing two Swedish groups born 15 years with each other. Newspaper of emotional references of disorders. doi.org/10.1016/j.jadr.2025.100878.
