Report on the mental health of young men in the Nordic countries
New Nordic report highlights young men’s mental ill-health encompassing education, the workplace and the pandemic.
Mental ill-health is a significant social and public health problem in the Nordic countries. Multiple studies also show that mental health problems have increased in the Nordic countries in recent years, particularly among young people. Studies show that there are also gender differences when it comes to mental ill-health and that gender, sexuality and masculinity norms play an important role in how young men manage and experience their mental health.
A new research overview from NIKK, Nordic Information on Gender, focuses in particular on knowledge about young men’s mental health in relation to current conditions and challenges in education and training and the workplace in the Nordic countries. The study also highlights knowledge about the impacts of the pandemic on young men’s mental health, where increased unemployment, distance teaching and isolation have risked reinforcing negative spirals in mental well-being.
Elin Engström, Director of NIKK, believes that the results help to highlight the relationship between mental health, education and working life:
– Schools and workplaces are important places where young men can come into contact with health promotion and support, and they can provide a sense of belonging. At the same time, the review shows that much of the mental ill health can be rooted in poor experiences of the education system and poor working environment. It is important that we look at the types of norms and beliefs that are reproduced in our Nordic educational institutions and workplaces and provide personalised support to those who need it.
The study also highlights the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic for young men’s mental health, as increased unemployment, distance learning and isolation have risked reinforcing a negative development of mental health.
NIKK, Nordic Information on Gender, is a co-operation body for the Nordic Council of Ministers placed at the Swedish Secretariat for Gender Research at the University of Gothenburg.
The Swedish Secretariat for Gender Research has been sharing knowledge for 25 years.
- Mental ill-health and gender: Men find it more difficult to seek help for mental health problems because of masculinity norms and mental ill-health being stigmatised.
- School effects: School closures and distance teaching during the pandemic have negatively affected young people’s well-being and learning, in particular young men.
- Education and training and the workplace: Young men who are neither studying nor working pose a challenge and need individualised support to enter the labour market.
- Effects of the pandemic: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant negative impact on young people’s mental health, with increased anxiety and depressive symptoms, especially among young women.
- Physical activity and lifestyle: Physical activity has positive effects on young people’s mental health and performance at work, but many young men reduced their physical activity during the pandemic.
- Gambling addiction and high-risk behaviours: Problematic gambling is more common among young men than young women and has a negative impact on their schooling as well as their working lives.
- Body dissatisfaction: When teenagers feel dissatisfied with their bodies, it affects their school performance and well-being.
- Intervention and support: Early interventions, access to psychosocial support at school, and reducing the stigma around mental ill-health are important measures for promoting young men’s mental health.
