Author(s) |
Lyyra, Nelli
Thorsteinsson, Einar Baldvin
Eriksson, Charli
Madsen, Katrine Rich
Tolvanen, Asko
Löfstedt, Petra
Välimaa, Raili
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Publication Date |
2021
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Abstract |
Positive mental health is central to adolescent well-being. The present study examines the prevalence of loneliness and positive mental health indicators (mental well-being and self-esteem) in four Nordic countries and associations between loneliness, mental well-being, and high self-esteem. This study is based on data from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study which was conducted in 2018 in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Sweden. Participants were 5883 15-year-oldboys and girls. To examine the associations between loneliness, mental well-being, and self-esteem, structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied. In the comparison of Nordic countries, the prevalence of loneliness was highest among Finnish and Icelandic adolescents. Highmental well-being and high self-esteem were most prevalent in Denmark and Sweden. In general, boys scored higher on positive mental health indicators and girls on loneliness. Loneliness was also a strong indicator of low mental well-being and low self-esteem in all Nordic countries. Lonelinessis not only associated with mental health problems such as anxiety and depression, but it is also a risk factor for adolescents' positive mental health. Positive mental health is important for healthy maturation and there is a need to develop initiatives to reduce adolescent loneliness and so support positive development
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Citation |
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(14), p. 1-12
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ISSN |
1660-4601
1661-7827
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Link | |
Language |
en
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Publisher |
MDPI AG
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Rights |
Attribution 4.0 International
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Title |
The Association between Loneliness, Mental Well-Being, and Self-Esteem among Adolescents in Four Nordic Countries
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Type of document |
Journal Article
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Entity Type |
Publication
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Name | Size | format | Description | Link |
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openpublished/TheAssociationThorsteinsson2021JournalArticle.pdf | 803.669 KB | application/pdf | Published version | View document |