“More young people have mental disorders, but they cope better”, write Magnus Nordmo and Fartein Ask Torvik in a column on Ytring. It’s encouraging news, but is it true? They refer to their own research, and the eventually known fact that more and more young people report mental health problems. The professional community has long discussed the cause of the increase, but the chronicle authors question whether “you can even trust statistics on young people’s mental health.” It is a big question which is certainly important for researchers, but which in the worst case can be devastating for young people with mental disorders. Failing basis To substantiate the claim that things are better for young people with mental disorders, they point to the fact that the incidence of young people with ADHD, depression and anxiety has increased, but that they do not do “as badly at school” as before. In addition, it is claimed that “When it comes to serious mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, we see no corresponding increase in the number of diagnoses, nor any change in relation to school results. We interpret this as the diagnoses are in motion.” That diagnoses are in motion is nothing new. The international classification system is regularly updated on the basis of new research. The current version entered into force in 2022. There, some diagnoses have been “lost”, for example fetishistic transvestism, and some new ones have been “gained”, for example complex post-traumatic stress disorder. That serious mental disorders are not increasing, however, is doubtful. Recent research shows an increase in the incidence of both bipolar disorder and various types and degrees of autism. This applies internationally to both young people and adults. More people need treatment It is also nothing new that both young people and adults often use “diagnostic language” to explain ailments that cannot be regarded as diagnoses. One could argue that it is due to social media, but here we should probably all take a mental round of punishment with ourselves. When I say on a bad day that I’m depressed, I really mean that I’m sad or stressed. The dramatic increase in self-reported mental health problems is a societal problem, regardless of whether it is due to the problems meeting the criteria for a mental disorder or not, writes the chronicler. Photo: private And when my colleague in irritation refers to the ex-husband as a psychopath, we both understand that he is really “just” an asshole. But our children, who are now becoming adults, have grown up with this use of language in and outside of social media. At the same time, I know from my many years of work as a psychologist, both with young and adult patients, that doctors and psychologists do not give diagnoses to those who do not meet the criteria for it. It is still a bigger problem that people do not receive a diagnosis and treatment, than that too many receive it. Reason for concern Results from the Health Survey in Nord-Trøndelag show that only 13 per cent of those with symptoms of depression and 25 per cent of those with symptoms of anxiety had sought help for their ailments. As with any other illness, the prognosis for mental disorders is better if you receive treatment as early as possible. Then it is serious that surveys show that only half of the young people with the very highest levels of symptoms seek help. The dramatic increase in self-reported mental health problems is a social problem, regardless of whether it is due to the problems meeting the criteria for a mental disorder or not. Nobody wants a world where 28 percent of secondary school students report that they have “felt unhappy, sad or depressed” in the last week. Or where 24 per cent respond that in the last week they have been quite or very much bothered by a “feeling of hopelessness with regard to the future”. And since psyche and soma are known to be connected, we should not be surprised by surveys that show that the same number of people report pain, nausea and the like, or that 29 per cent of girls in the 7th grade have used painkillers in the last week. My point is that youth, however we classify and understand it, are hurting. Bigger challenges It is of course good to know that more young people with mental disorders are “doing better at school”, but it must also be noted that there is also greater pressure to go to school and to get to school than before. Several surveys show that many young people, regardless of mental health problems or not, experience the school situation as closely connected with stress and mental health problems. It is then important to recognize that today’s youth have greater challenges both at school and elsewhere than a generation ago. Resources should be invested in helping young people rather than doubting whether they have reason to complain. The chronicle authors write that “In the same way that you don’t know whether the color red is experienced the same from person to person, you don’t know whether a feeling of depression is comparable.” It is, at best, a quasi-philosophical observation. At worst, such statements contribute to the outdated myth that people with mental disorders “overdramatize” or that “young people just need to toughen up”. I don’t think they mean that. But unfortunately there are many others who do. Published 02.07.2024, at 14.38
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Young people in crisis – Speech
