Trends in Adolescent Mental Wellbeing in an Italian sample from 2004 to 2022 (HBSC Study): Gender, Age, and Socioeconomic Difference

Abstract

Introduction. There is an increasing discussion about the decline in adolescent mental well-being over time, but existing literature provides limited data on this trend. The aim of our study is to examine how the mental health of Tuscan adolescents aged 11-13 and 15 years may have changed over the years. Additionally, we seek to investigate the influence of factors such as gender, age, and socioeconomic status on these changes. Method. We analyzed data representative of the Tuscan region, collected from 18,439 adolescents through six rounds of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) surveys conducted in 2004, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022. Hierarchical regression models were used to assess regional trends in adolescents’ mental well-being, considering life satisfaction, psychological and somatic symptoms, and to evaluate how age, gender, and socioeconomic status might moderate these trends. Results. In all survey years (except 2004), girls consistently reported higher levels of psychological and somatic complaints and lower life satisfaction compared to boys. Trend analysis from 2004 to 2022 showed a steady decline in all measured areas: life satisfaction, psychological complaints, and somatic complaints. Generally, older adolescents reported lower life satisfaction and higher levels of psychological and somatic symptoms. Conclusion. Our findings indicate that the gender gap in mental well-being appears to be widening over time, whereas differences related to age and socioeconomic status have remained relatively stable. It is therefore crucial to pay increased attention, especially considering the potential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescent mental healt