The mental health of children and adolescent is a current topic around the world, especially now, when the well-being of young people is burdened by many crises. With the pandemic, suicides among young people have been on the rise worldwide. According to researchers, climate change and the loss of biodiversity are also significant threats to public health.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the mental well-being of individuals worldwide. A recent study examines the relationship between COVID-19-related concerns, anxiety, and worry, and the emotional quality of daydreaming and nighttime dreaming during these challenging times.
According to a new study conducted by the Research Centre for Child Psychiatry of the University of Turku and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, the amount of new psychiatric diagnoses by Finnish specialist services increased by nearly a fifth among children and adolescents in Finland after the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. The diagnoses increased particularly among females, adolescents and those living in the Helsinki region, which had the highest COVID-19 rates and tightest restrictions when compared to the rest of the country.
Ukrainian professor Olga Osokina has seen the consequences of the Russian full-scale invasion with her own eyes. As a visiting professor, she helps the University of Turku to build understanding of the mental health of children and adolescents in war-torn Ukraine.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety were more likely in adolescents exposed to war than those living outside the war-affected region in Ukraine. The unique study conducted by the Research Centre for Child Psychiatry of the University of Turku is the largest epidemiological study using standardised measures that examined the impact of the Russia–Ukraine war 2014 on the mental health of adolescents.
At the beginning of October, the On My Mind project will hold a week of events on 4-10 October. The library is also participating in the week with several events. The student-led project is carried out by the Student Union of the University of Turku (TYY) and the University of Turku. The aim of the project is to promote low-threshold, early access to mental health support services; break down prejudices and stigmas to do with mental health; and share good practices that promote the well-being of students' mental health.