The case in summary: School youth have never been more stressed, new research from UiB shows. For the first time, the girls are doing worse than the boys at school. 37 percent of all girls at secondary school experience a high level of stress at school. Young people experience poorer health than before and a less healthy life. The downward trend in well-being started in 2014 and has been reinforced in recent years. Social media and high demands for achievements and grades are pointed to as stress factors. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – I stress about everything. School and football and free time and stuff like that, says Sofie Isabell Lizana Åsebø, who is in the 10th grade at Kleppestø junior high school in Askøy in Vestland. She is not alone at all, shows new research from the University of Bergen. – In the 40 years we have been doing measurements, we have never measured a higher stress level and lower well-being than we do now. Oddrun Samdal believes the results are dramatic. The professor of health psychology has now taken over the main responsibility for the large international survey that measures how young people are doing. Descending tree reinforced In Norway, the arrow points downwards. Stress increases, well-being decreases. Young people experience poorer health than before and a less healthy life. We are far from reaching the goal when it comes to bullying. The report from UiB shows that the downward trend that started in 2014 has been reinforced in recent years. And the girls do significantly worse at school than the boys. Professor Oddrun Samdal at the HEMIL institute at UiB. Photo: Oddgeir Øystese / news – 37 per cent of all girls at secondary school experience a high level of stress at school. At the age of 15, 32 per cent report this, says Samdal. – Twice as many girls as boys stress. It does not match the image we have of the school being geared towards girls. The HEVAS survey The survey “Health habits among school pupils” has been carried out since 1983. The newest report has collected data in 2021/2022. Around 5,000 pupils in the 6th, 8th, 10th years, and first year of further education, have answered questions about their own physical and mental health. All Norwegian counties are represented. The HEMIL institute at UiB is responsible for the investigation. Part of the WHO study HBSC. 500 researchers examine the health of young people in 50 countries. Young people not surprised news asked class 10F at Kleppestø secondary school in Askøy if they stress at school. Most hands go up. Most of the girls in 10F answer that they stress. Photo: Oddgeir Øystese / news Sofie Isabell Lizana Åsebø is one of many who tell about a stressful weekday. – It’s uncomfortable, but it’s going well. I’ve gotten used to it, she says. According to the statistics, the 15-year-olds are in a difficult period, where high demands are placed on them. – It is quite stressful to get good enough grades to get into a good secondary school. And then you have to find time for everything other than schoolwork and, says Sol Cornelia Leurelle. When asked if the pupils at Kleppestø are happiest at the school, about half raise their hands. According to the research report, only 19 per cent of 15-year-old girls in Norway enjoy school. For boys, the proportion is 32 per cent. The good news for them is that the proportion who say they are satisfied with their lives has been stable in recent years. Why is that so? The school pupils in the 10th grade have no doubt about what creates pressure and stress. They point to what is happening on the mobile phone. – It’s a lot about social media. There is a lot of online bullying and people always have to be perfect, says Matheo Gangstø Steinseide. He receives support from the researchers. – It is close to believe that one experiences higher demands because of what one sees digitally. There has been more focus on the individual, says Oddrun Samdal. – Have to think again But they see several possible explanations. These young people have been through a pandemic. The results from Norwegian youth do not deviate much from the normal in the fifty other countries in which the survey was conducted. Nevertheless, the professor believes that one must look at changes that have been made in the Norwegian school system. – There has been more focus on achievements and grades. Maybe we need to think a little differently here. Matheo Gangstø Steinseide believes that social media must take a lot of the blame for stressing 15-year-olds. Photo: Oddgeir Øystese / news Published 12.11.2024, at 20.52 Updated 12.11.2024, at 21.28
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The stress level in school has never been higher – news Vestland
