Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Ethnic Norwegian and ethnic minority adolescents in Oslo, Norway

A longitudinal study comparing changes in mental health

  • ORIGINAL PAPER
  • Published:
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Little is known about ethnic disparities in mental health during late teens. The aim of this study was to compare changes in self reported mental health between adolescents with ethnic Norwegian and ethnic minority background aged 15-16 years followed for three years.

Methods

The youth part of the Oslo Health Study constituted the baseline of this self-reported longitudinal study, carried out in schools in 2001 (n = 3811). The follow-up in 2004 was conducted partly in school and partly through mail. A total of 2489 (1112 boys and 1377 girls) participated in the follow-up. Twenty percent of the participants had an ethnic minority background. Mental health was measured by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and The Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL-10).

Results

Ethnic minority boys and girls reported poorer mental health than ethnic Norwegians of the same sex, both at baseline and follow-up. Exceptions were hyperactivity-inattention problems and prosocial behaviours where no differences were found. Consistent changes from baseline to follow-up were; an increase in mental distress and prosocial behaviour. No ethnic disparities were found for changes in mental health from ages 15 to 18 between the two groups. There was no different effect of perceived family economy, parents’ marital status and socioeconomic region of residence in Oslo on change in mental health between ethnic Norwegian and ethnic minority boys and girls from age 15 to 18 years.

Conclusions

Ethnic disparities in mental health remained the same from age 15-16 and throughout teenage years. Demographic factors adjusted for had no different impact on changes in mental health between host and immigrant adolescents.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. American Psychiatric Association (1994) Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 4th edn. Washington, DC

  2. Angold A, Erkanli A, Silberg J, Eaves L, Costello EJ (2002) Depression scale scores in 8-17-year-olds: effects of age and gender. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 43:1052–1063

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Bashir MR (1993) Issues of immigration for the health and adjustment of young people. J Paediatr Child Health 29:S42–S45

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Berry JW (1997) Immigration, Acculturation and Adaption. Appl Psychol 46:5–46

    Google Scholar 

  5. Berry JW (2001) A Psychology of Immigrantion. J Soc Issues 57:615–631

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Canadian Task Force (1998) Review of the literature on migrant mental health. Ministry of Supply and Services, Canada

    Google Scholar 

  7. Claassen D, Ascoli M, Berhe T, Priebe S (2005) Research on mental disorders and their care in immigrant populations: a review of publications from Germany, Italy and the UK. Eur J Psychiatry 20:540–549

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Costello EJ, Compton SN, Keeler G, Angold A (2003) Relationships between poverty and psychopathology: a natural experiment. JAMA 290:2023–2029

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Costello EJ, Egger H, Angold A (2005) 10-year research update review: the epidemiology of child and adolescent psychiatric disorders: I. Methods and public health burden. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 44:972–986

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Costello EJ, Foley DL, Angold A (2006) 10-year research update review: the epidemiology of child and adolescent psychiatric disorders: II. Developmental epidemiology. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 45:8–25

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Costello EJ, Mustillo S, Erkanli A, Keeler G, Angold A (2003) Prevalence and development of psychiatric disorders in childhood and adolescence. Arch Gen Psychiatry 60:837–844

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Davies LC, McKelvey RS (1998) Emotional and behavioural problems and competencies among immigrant and non-immigrant adolescents. Aust N Z J Psychiatry 32:658–665

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Derogatis LR, Lipman RS, Rickels K, Uhlenhuth EH, Covi L (1974) The Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL): a self-report symptom inventory. Behav Sci 19:1–15

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Glass RM, Allan AT, Uhlenhuth EH, Kimball CP, Borinstein DI (1978) Psychiatric screening in a medical clinic. An evaluation of a self-report inventory. Arch Gen Psychiatry 35:1189–1195

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Goodman R (2001) Psychometric properties of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 40:1337–1345

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Goodman R, Meltzer H, Bailey V (1998) The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: a pilot study on the validity of the self-report version. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 7:125–130

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Haapea M, Miettunen J, Veijola J, Lauronen E, Tanskanen P, Isohanni M (2007) Non-participation may bias the results of a psychiatric survey: an analysis from the survey including magnetic resonance imaging within the Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 42:403–409

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Harris KM, Gordon-Larsen P, Chantala K, Udry JR (2006) Longitudinal trends in race/ethnic disparities in leading health indicators from adolescence to young adulthood. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 160:74–81

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Janssen MM, Verhulst FC, gi-Arslan L, Erol N, Salter CJ, Crijnen AA (2004) Comparison of self-reported emotional and behavioral problems in Turkish immigrant, Dutch and Turkish adolescents. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 39:133–140

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Klimidis S, Stuart G, Minas IH, Ata AW (1994) Immigrant status and gender effects on psychopathology and self-concept in adolescents: a test of the migration-morbidity hypothesis. Compr Psychiatry 35:393–404

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Lie B (2002) Immigration and immigrants 2002. Statistisk sentralbyrå, Oslo

    Google Scholar 

  22. Lien L, Dalgard F, Heyerdahl S, Thoresen M, Bjertness E (2006) The relationship between age of menarche and mental distress in Norwegian adolescent girls and girls from different immigrant groups in Norway: results from an urban city cross-sectional survey. Soc Sci Med 63:285–295

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Lipman EL, Offord DR, Boyle MH (1994) Relation between economic disadvantage and psychosocial morbidity in children. CMAJ 151:431–437

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Maynard MJ, Harding S, Minnis H (2007) Psychological well-being in Black Caribbean, Black African, and White adolescents in the UK Medical Research Council DASH study. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 42:759–769

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Munroe-Blum H, Boyle MH, Offord DR, Kates N (1989) Immigrant children: psychiatric disorder, school performance, and service utilization. Am J Orthopsychiatry 59:510–519

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Murad SD, Joung IM, van Lenthe FJ, gi-Arslan L, Crijnen AA (2003) Predictors of self-reported problem behaviours in Turkish immigrant and Dutch adolescents in the Netherlands. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 44:412–423

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. van Oort FV, Joung IM, Mackenbach JP, Verhulst FC, gi-Arslan L, Crijnen AA, van der EJ (2007) Development of ethnic disparities in internalizing and externalizing problems from adolescence into young adulthood. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 48:176–184

  28. van Oort FV, van der EJ, Crijnen AA, Verhulst FC, Mackenbach JP, Joung IM (2006) Ethnic disparities in problem behaviour in adolescence contribute to ethnic disparities in social class in adulthood. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 42:50–56

  29. Oppedal B, Roysamb E (2004) Mental health, life stress and social support among young Norwegian adolescents with immigrant and host national background. Scand J Psychol 45:131–144

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Reijneveld SA, Brugman E, Verhulst FC, Verloove-Vanhorick SP (2005) Area deprivation and child psychosocial problems-a national cross-sectional study among school-aged children. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 40:18–23

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Rognerud M, Stensvold I (eds) (1998) Oslohelsa. Utredning om helse, miljø og sosial ulikhet i bydelene (The Oslo Health Repport. Report about health, environment and social inequality in the local districts). Centre of Preventive Medicine, Ullevål University Hospital, Oslo

    Google Scholar 

  32. Ronning JA, Handegaard BH, Sourander A, Morch WT (2004) The Strengths and Difficulties Self-Report Questionnaire as a screening instrument in Norwegian community samples. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 13:73–82

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. van Roy B, Groholt B, Heyerdahl S, Clench-Aas J (2006) Self-reported strengths and difficulties in a large Norwegian population 10-19 years : age and gender specific results of the extended SDQ-questionnaire. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 15:189–198

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Roza SJ, Hofstra MB, van der Ende J, Verhulst FC (2003) Stable prediction of mood and anxiety disorders based on behavioral and emotional problems in childhood: a 14-year follow-up during childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood. Am J Psychiatry 160:2116–2121

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Rutter M (1998) Antisocial behavior by young people. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  36. Rutter M, Caspi A, Moffitt TE (2003) Using sex differences in psychopathology to study causal mechanisms: unifying issues and research strategies. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 44:1092–1115

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. SDQ. Information for researchers and professionals about the Strengths & Difficulties Questionnaires [homepage on the Internet]. Available at: http://www.sdqinfo.com/. Accessed 2 Apr 2006

  38. Sagatun A, Søgaard A-J, and Bjertness E, Youth 2004: Methods [online]. Available at: http://www.fhi.no/dav/A34847D246.pdf. Accessed 28 Aug 2006

  39. Schneiders J, Drukker M, van der EJ, Verhulst FC, van OJ, Nicolson NA (2003) Neighbourhood socioeconomic disadvantage and behavioural problems from late childhood into early adolescence. J Epidemiol Community Health 57:699–703

  40. Selmer R, Søgaard A-J, Bjertness E, Telle D (2003) The Oslo Health Study:Reminding the non-responders - effects on prevalence estimates. Norsk Epidemiologi 13:89–94

    Google Scholar 

  41. Stansfeld SA, Haines MM, Head JA, Bhui K, Viner R, Taylor SJ, Hillier S, Klineberg E, Booy R (2004) Ethnicity, social deprivation and psychological distress in adolescents: school-based epidemiological study in east London. Br J Psychiatry 185:233–238

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Stevens GW, Pels T, gi-Arslan L, Verhulst FC, Vollebergh WA, Crijnen AA (2003) Parent, teacher and self-reported problem behavior in The Netherlands: comparing Moroccan immigrant with Dutch and with Turkish immigrant children and adolescents. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 38:576–585

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Storksen I, Roysamb E, Holmen TL, Tambs K (2006) Adolescent adjustment and well-being: effects of parental divorce and distress. Scand J Psychol 47:75–84

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Storvoll EE, Wichstrom L (2003) Gender differences in changes in and stability of conduct problems from early adolescence to early adulthood. J Adolesc 26:413–429

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  45. Strand BH, Dalgard OS, Tambs K, Rognerud M (2003) Measuring the mental health status of the Norwegian population: a comparison of the instruments SCL-25, SCL-10, SCL-5 and MHI-5 (SF-36). Nord J Psychiatry 57:113–118

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  46. Søgaard A-J, Eie T The Oslo Health Study (HUBRO)–The Youth part (UNGHUBRO): Methods [online]. Norwegian Institute of Public Health. Available at: http://www.fhi.no/dav/831c96A203.doc. Accessed 8 May 2006

  47. Verhulst FC, Achenbach TM, van der EJ, Erol N, Lambert MC, Leung PW, Silva MA, Zilber N, Zubrick SR (2003) Comparisons of problems reported by youths from seven countries. Am J Psychiatry 160:1479–1485

  48. Vollebergh WA, ten HM, Dekovic M, Oosterwegel A, Pels T, Veenstra R, de WA, Ormel H, Verhulst F (2005) Mental health in immigrant children in the Netherlands. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 40:489–496

  49. Wichstrom L (1999) The emergence of gender difference in depressed mood during adolescence: the role of intensified gender socialization. Dev Psychol 35:232–245

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  50. de Winter AF, Oldehinkel AJ, Veenstra R, Brunnekreef JA, Verhulst FC, Ormel J (2005) Evaluation of non-response bias in mental health determinants and outcomes in a large sample of pre-adolescents. Eur J Epidemiol 20:173–181

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This project has been financed with aid of EXTRA funds from the Norwegian Foundation for Health and Rehabilitation. The data collection was carried out and funded by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, the University of Oslo, the City of Oslo (baseline). The Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Eastern and Southern Norway, Oslo contributed to the funding of the follow-up study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Åse Sagatun.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sagatun, Å., Lien, L., Søgaard, A.J. et al. Ethnic Norwegian and ethnic minority adolescents in Oslo, Norway. Soc Psychiat Epidemiol 43, 87–95 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-007-0275-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-007-0275-z

Key words

Navigation