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A multi-level developmental approach towards understanding adolescent mental health and behaviour: rationale, design and methods of the LIFECOURSE study in Iceland

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Abstract

Purpose

Identifying and understanding modifiable risk and protective factors that can inform early detection and intervention to prevent adolescent emotional problems and harmful behaviours is among the most pressing modern-day public health challenges. This paper describes the rationale, objectives, methods, and anticipated outcomes of the LIFECOURSE study, a multi-level, bio-psychosocial prospective study designed to advance our understanding of factors that shape adolescent mental health and behaviour.

Methods

Conducted by the Icelandic Centre for Social Research and Analysis at Reykjavik University, LIFECOURSE is a longitudinal population-based developmental study of Icelandic adolescents born in 2004. The study utilizes a comprehensive multi-informant assessment of individual, societal and biological factors measured across the lifespan. Data assembly and collection were conducted from 2016–2020 and utilize both retrospective and prospective data sources: (a) retrospective registry data assembled from seven national databases, (b) prospectively collected social surveys and (c) biomarker samples.

Results

Of the 3914 eligible adolescents, 60.8% (n = 2378) provided informed parental consent and student assent to participate in the study, with approximately half of the participants being female (n = 1175, 49.4%) and the majority being born in the capital area (n = 1455; 61.2%). The coverage of available data from the national databases and participation in the social surveys ranged from 81.7 to 100%.

Conclusions

Major gaps remain in our knowledge of how individual, societal and biological factors across the lifespan—from early life to adolescence—interact and shape the risk for emotional problems and harmful behaviours during adolescence. The LIFECOURSE study was designed to address this knowledge gap.

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Availability of data and material

The study has an open policy in terms of collaborating with other research groups. For interested researchers, collaboration requests should be addressed to the study’s Princial Investigator, Prof. Inga Dora Sigfusdottir (ingadora@ru.is). The proposed study aims and potential overlap of requests with ongoing studies are discussed with the LIFECOURSE team. Once approved, a LIFECOURSE team member will be assigned to supervise and assist with the project.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank all youths participating in this epidemiological study, the schools that made the study possible with their help in terms of data collection and the research assistants that assisted with the data collection.

Funding

The social survey data collection, compilation of the registry data, as well as the cortisol and alpha amylase measurements, of the LIFECOURSE study were funded by a Project Grant (206580-21-22–23) from RANNIS, the Icelandic Centre for Research and a Research Consolidator Grant from the European Research Council (ERC‐CoG‐2014‐647860). The ERC had no role in formulating the study objectives and did not impact the analyses, reporting or selection of a journal outlet.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Reykjavik University, Reykjavik, Iceland

    Thorhildur Halldorsdottir, Bryndis Bjork Asgeirsdottir, Ingibjorg Eva Thorisdottir, Heiddis B. Valdimarsdottir & Inga Dora Sigfusdottir

  2. Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA

    Alfgeir Logi Kristjansson

  3. Icelandic Center for Social Research and Analysis, Reykjavik University, Reykjavik, Iceland

    Jon Sigfusson, Erla Maria Jonsdottir Tolgyes & Inga Dora Sigfusdottir

  4. Population Health Science and Policy, Icahn School of Medicine At Mount Sinai, New York City, NY, USA

    Heiddis B. Valdimarsdottir

  5. Department of Health and Behavior Studies, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York City, NY, USA

    John Allegrante & Inga Dora Sigfusdottir

Authors
  1. Thorhildur Halldorsdottir
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  2. Alfgeir Logi Kristjansson
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  9. Inga Dora Sigfusdottir
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Contributions

IDS conceived and designed the LIFECOURSE study in collaboration with ALK, BBA, JA, and HBV. Data collection was carried out by JS, EMJT, and IET. TH wrote the first draft of the manuscript, managed data cleaning and ran all analyses. All authors contributed to the final version of the manuscript.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Thorhildur Halldorsdottir or Inga Dora Sigfusdottir.

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Conflicts of interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The study was approved by the National Bioethics Committee of Iceland (11–078) and registered with the Personal Protection Authority.

Consent to participate

Informed consent from the parents and assent from the adolescents was obtained.

Consent for publication

No potentially identifying information is included in this manuscript.

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Halldorsdottir, T., Kristjansson, A.L., Asgeirsdottir, B.B. et al. A multi-level developmental approach towards understanding adolescent mental health and behaviour: rationale, design and methods of the LIFECOURSE study in Iceland. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 56, 519–529 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-020-01995-6

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