TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2011//
TI  - Adolescents' adverse experiences and mental health in a prospective perspective
JO  - Scandinavian journal of public health
A1  - Haavet, Ole Rikard
A1  - Sagatun, Å
A1  - Lien, L.
SP  - 58
EP  - 63
VL  - 39
IS  - 1
N2  - AIMS: The aim of this study is to examine the possible changes in depressive symptoms related to various adverse experiences, based on a three-year follow-up among adolescents. METHODS: All 10(th) graders invited to enter the youth section of the Oslo Health Study 2001 (n = 3,811) constituted a baseline of a longitudinal study. A high level of mental distress (Hscl-10 score ≥ 1.85) according to the different life experiences was compared, at baseline (15 years) and follow-up (18 years). RESULTS: All adverse experiences were associated with a high Hscl-10 score except parents not living together and death of a close person at 15 and 18 years for boys, and death of a close person at 18 years of age for girls. A development from high Hscl-10 score at baseline to low score at follow up was defined as recovery from mental distress. The proportion of the youth that had a high Hscl-10 score related to reporting adverse life experiences at age 15, followed by a low Hscl-10 score three years later proved to be between 44% and 89% among boys and between 16% and 31% among girls. CONCLUSIONS: From a three year longitudinal perspective the recovery from mental distress is substantial and higher among boys than among girls. However, mental distress seems to persist in a considerable proportion of the adolescents. Consequently, it is insufficient to brush aside traumas and hurt and rely on a time healing process only.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1403-4948
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1403494810375491
ID  - ref1
ER  -