Mental health problems more common among younger adults

Over the half-century during which the Swedish Level-of-Living Survey has been conducted, people’s overall health has remained fairly stable, while several types of health problems have decreased somewhat in the population. Mental health problems are a clear exception. The proportion of people reporting mental health problems has increased, and the increase is particularly pronounced among younger generations.

– What is most striking is how clearly the age pattern has changed. Fifty years ago, older people were more likely to report mental health problems than younger adults. Today, we see the opposite pattern, says Ida Ljungström, PhD student at the Stockholm University Demography Unit (SUDA).

The increase among younger people began with generations who were young adults in the 1990s, and the higher level of mental health problems has partly followed these groups as they have grown older. The increase is particularly evident in reported problems such as depression, nervous problems and mental illness. Fatigue and sleep problems have also become more common. Among older people, all of these problems have instead decreased.

Women report mental health problems more often than men in all age groups. At the same time, the increase among younger people and the decrease among older people have been greatest among women. This means that the differences between women and men have increased among younger age groups and decreased among older age groups.

What is behind the trend?

How should we understand the increase in mental health problems among younger generations? It is possible that younger generations have a different view of what should be defined as a health problem and different ways of interpreting physical phenomena. As mental health problems become known and discussed, they provide a framework for interpreting problems that people previously may not have had concepts for. Acceptance of mental health problems has increased, as has knowledge about different problems and treatments, which may make it easier for people to interpret the problems they experience as mental health problems. It is also possible that new frames of reference and ideals concerning health have become established.

At the same time, the change may also be related to external changes in society. Changes in schools and working life, or events in the wider world such as wars and climate change, could, for example, lead to anxiety, which in turn may contribute to mental health problems. When it comes to younger people, social media are often put forward as an explanation for the increase in mental health problems. However, it is methodologically difficult to test these possible explanations and distinguish their effects from one another.

– Our data show that younger generations are more likely to report mental health problems than previous generations were at the same age. However, we cannot determine to what extent the change is due to people feeling worse or to changes in how mental health problems are perceived and described, says Ida Ljungström.

The development of mental health problems among younger adults is one of the clearest changes to emerge when researchers compare living conditions over several decades. The study is based on the Swedish Level-of-Living Survey, which has followed people’s living conditions in Sweden since 1968. The youngest age group in the analysis is 20–29.

From the book: Välfärd & livsvillkor

Välfärd & livsvillkor – Perspektiv på samtida samhällsbilder
Editors: Katarina Boye och Johan Westerman
Publisher: Liber | ISBN: 978-91-47-15832-4 | 384 pages

The chapter “Hur mår Sverige? Självrapporterad hälsa och ohälsosymtom i Sverige 1968–2022” by Ida Ljungström, Andreas Ljungström and Carina Mood forms the basis for this article and examines the development of self-reported health and mental health problems across generations.

About the Swedish Level-of-Living Survey (LNU)

The Swedish Level-of-Living Survey is conducted at the Swedish Institute for Social Research (SOFI), Stockholm University. The survey has followed people’s living conditions in Sweden since 1968. Through repeated surveys, LNU provides unique knowledge about how welfare, employment, health and living conditions change over time.