ADOLESCENTS’
MENTAL WELL-BEING
This fact sheet presents highlights from the international report
of the 2013/2014 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children
(HBSC) survey. HBSC, a WHO collaborative cross-national study,
asks boys and girls aged 11, 13 and 15 years about their health and
well-being, social environments and health behaviours every four
years. The 2013/2014 survey was conducted in 42 countries and
regions across the WHO European Region and North America.
BACKGROUND
Mental ill health accounts for almost 20% of the burden of disease in the WHO
European Region. It affects not only people living with mental health problems,
but also the lives of their carers and the productivity of society as a whole.
Mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in many western countries,
responsible for 30–40% of chronic sick leave and health-related early retirement
and costing some 3% of gross domestic product.
Being in good emotional as well as physical health enables young people to deal
with the challenges of adolescence and eases their transition into adulthood.
Mental well-being in childhood is associated with social competence and good
coping skills that lead to more positive outcomes in adulthood. About half of
all mental health problems in adulthood have their onset during or before
adolescence.
Mental health and well-being during adolescence are strongly influenced by life
experiences and relationships. Key protective factors include a sense of parent
and family connectedness, with social support supplied by at least one caring
adult. Good family communication and supportive peers help young people to
adjust to new situations and cope with stressful life events. Family structure
also counts: children and young people who live with parents express higher life
satisfaction than those living with other relatives, non-relatives or guardians.
FACT SHEET, 15 March 2016
KEY FACTS
AND FIGURES
Age differences
In general, mental well-being declines
as young people move through
adolescence, with increased reporting
of multiple health complaints, a
reduction in levels of life satisfaction
and a rise in adolescents rating their
health as fair or poor.
Cross-national and gender
differences
Girl report lower levels of perceived
health, lower life satisfaction and more
frequent health complaints. This gender
gap increases with age.
Family affluence
Young people from less-affluent
households consistently report lower
life satisfaction, more frequent multiple
health complaints and higher levels of
perceived fair or poor health.
Difference between 2010 and 2014
Young people’s levels of life satisfaction
and self-rated health have remained
fairly consistent since the previous HBSC
study in 2009/2010.
Factors associated with poor mental health and well-being include bullying,
lack of acceptance by peers and lack of support from parents and teachers.
Frequent or sustained stress leads to emotional and physiological strain, which
in turn has an effect on the development of frequent health complaints such
as headaches, abdominal pain and backache. In contrast, positive school
experiences has been identified as a protective factor against the development
of frequent health complaints.
© WHO 2016
FACT SHEET
TOBACCO USE INMENTAL
ADOLESCENTS’
ADOLESCENCE
WELL-BEING
Mental health problems can have damaging effects on young people’s social, intellectual and emotional development and
consequently on their future. The adolescent years are a critical life stage for actions to protect and promote mental health
and well-being for the long term.
Age differences
Young people who report multiple
health complaints at least once a week a
In general, mental well-being declines as young people
move through adolescence. Significant differences emerge
between 11- and 15-year-olds, with increased reporting
of multiple health complaints, a reduction in levels of life
satisfaction and a rise in adolescents rating their health as
fair or poor. These findings confirm that the psychosocial
dimension of health is very important in the second decade
of life, when adolescents experience many physical, social,
psychological and cognitive changes in their transition to
adulthood.
50
50%
40%
30%
BOYS
GIRLS
31
24
27
20%
10%
0%
11-year-olds
a
Young people who rate
their health as fair or poor a
BOYS
GIRLS
95%
21
20%
15%
90%
9
89 89
10
79
80%
5%
75%
0%
70%
15-year-olds
Average across all countries in the HBSC report
87
85%
13
11-year-olds
a
Average across all countries in the HBSC report
Young people who report
high life satisfaction a
BOYS
GIRLS
25%
10%
15-year-olds
11-year-olds
a
15-year-olds
Average across all countries in the HBSC report
Cross-national and gender differences
Substantial cross-national variation in the prevalence of subjective health outcomes is seen. Clear gender differences are also
found, with girls reporting lower levels of perceived health, lower life satisfaction and more frequent health complaints. This
gender gap emerges with 13-year-olds and increases with age. By the age of 15, one in five girls reports her health as fair or
poor and one in two experiences multiple health complaints more than once a week.
Family affluence
Young people from less-affluent households consistently report lower life satisfaction, more frequent multiple health
complaints and higher levels of perceived fair or poor health
© WHO 2016
FACT SHEET
TOBACCO USE INMENTAL
ADOLESCENTS’
ADOLESCENCE
WELL-BEING
15-year-olds who report multiple
health complaints more than once a week a
44
Malta
43
Israel
27
HBSC average
41
18
Austria
10%
a
41
16
Portugal
20%
36
30%
40%
50%
13
HBSC average
50
18
Germany
18
Poland
56
60%
70%
Top and bottom 3, and average across all countries in the HBSC report
Bulgaria
5
Albania
4
MKD
4
b
0%
a
b
38
20
Wales
68
BOYS
GIRLS
14
Latvia
65
38
Italy
15-year-olds who rate
their health as fair or poor a
BOYS
GIRLS
32
30
21
7
7
7
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Top and bottom 3, and average across all countries in the HBSC report
The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
Difference from the previous HBSC survey
Young people’s levels of life satisfaction and self-rated health have remained fairly consistent since the previous HBSC study
in 2009/2010. An increase in reporting multiple health complaints is seen among older girls, however, while there has been
an average 1% decrease reported by 11-year-old girls, the rate for 15-year-olds has increased by 6%.
Young people who report multiple health
complaints more than once a week a
BOYS
GIRLS
50
50%
44
40%
32
31
25
24
2009/2010
2013/2014
30%
20%
11-year-olds
a
26
27
2009/2010
2013/2014
15-year-olds
Average across all countries in the HBSC report
HOW CAN POLICY HELP?
The European mental health action plan, endorsed by all 53 Member States of the WHO European Region, recognizes
the importance of resilience to young people’s mental well-being. It identifies mental well-being in young people as an
essential determinant of mental health later in life and proposes actions for governments to improve well-being across
the lifespan through universal and targeted interventions that have been shown to be effective. Examples include mental
© WHO 2016
FACT SHEET
TOBACCO USE INMENTAL
ADOLESCENTS’
ADOLESCENCE
WELL-BEING
health promotion programmes in schools that enable early identification of emotional problems in children and take action
on bullying, and whole-of-community approaches to education in areas of multiple disadvantage to break the cycle linking
poverty, deprivation and poor educational outcomes.
Tackling depression and other mental health problems in adolescence is also addressed in Investing in children: the European
child and adolescent health strategy 2015–2020, which highlights the need to strengthen protective factors in schools, homes
and local communities and improve the quality of mental health care for children and adolescents.
Further information
Child and Adolescent Health
WHO Regional Office for Europe
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.euro.who.int/cah
Health Behaviour in
School-aged Children study
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.hbsc.org
© WHO 2016