Bryndis Bjork Asgeirsdottir

Trends in depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms and visits to healthcare specialists: A national study among Icelandic adolescents

Aims: The aim of the study was to examine trends in adolescent depression and anxiety symptoms from 1997 to 2006, using four time-points (1997, 2000, 2003, and 2006), and adolescent mental health service use in the same period, using three time-points (1997, 2000, and 2006). Methods: Four cross-sectional population-based samples of 14- and 15-year-old students, attending the compulsory 9th and 10th grades of the Icelandic secondary school system, completed questionnaires relating to mental health. In total, 21,245 students participated in the four studies. Results: Anxiety symptoms increased significantly for both boys and girls, throughout the period from 1997 to 2006. Depressive symptoms increased significantly for girls, while there were no significant changes in depression among boys. During the same time period, the proportion of adolescents who visited healthcare specialists, i.e. psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers, increased significantly. The results revealed that regular visits (six times or more during 1 year) to psychiatrists and psychologists increased significantly over the same period among girls but not among boys. Conclusions: The findings show that symptoms of depression and anxiety have increased among adolescents in Iceland. Future work would benefit from further research into the trends in risk and protective factors associated with these outcomes. The findings call particular attention to the increasing risk for depression and anxiety symptoms among girls.

Physical Activity Buffers the Effects of Family Conflict on Depressed Mood: A Study on Adolescent Girls and Boys.

This paper investigates the relationship between physical activity and depressed mood, under conditions of family conflict. We analyze data from a representative sample of 7,232 Icelandic adolescents. Analysis of variance was carried out to test for main and interaction effects. The study shows that while family conflict increases the likelihood of depressed mood, among adolescents, physical activity decreases the likelihood of depressed mood. Furthermore, physical activity plays a more important role among those adolescents living in aversive circumstances, than other adolescents, as family conflict and physical activity interact in the effect on depressed mood for adolescents living in such circumstances. The findings highlight the role of physical activity in decreasing mental distress among adolescents, especially those living in aversive circumstances at home.

Suicidal ideations and attempts among adolescents subjected to childhood sexual abuse and family conflict/violence: The mediating role of anger and depressed mood

Based on a sample of 9085 16- to 19-year-old students attending all high schools in Iceland in 2004, the current study examines depressed mood and anger as potential mediators between family conflict/violence and sexual abuse, on the one hand, and suicidal ideations and suicide attempts on the other. Agnews general strain theory provides the theoretical framework for the study. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was conducted allowing explicit modelling of both direct and mediating effects using observed and latent variables. The findings showed that both depressed mood and anger mediated the relationship between family conflict/violence and sexual abuse and suicidal attempts. However, when testing the mediating pathways between sexual abuse and family conflict/violence and suicidal ideations, only depressed mood but not anger turned out to be a significant mediator. The authors discuss how these finding may inform and facilitate the design and development of interventions to reduce the likelihood of suicide attempts among young people.

Custodial interrogation: What are the background factors associated with claims of false confession to police?

Abstract The aim of this paper is to investigate the association between an alleged false confession during custodial interrogation and reported adverse life events, substance abuse problems, self-harm behaviour, and previous psychological/psychiatric treatment. A total of 1896 students in further education in Iceland (aged 15 – 24 years), who had reported an experience of police interrogation, completed a detailed questionnaire about their background, substance abuse, and psychological/psychiatric treatment. Of the 1896 participants, 138 (7.3%) claimed to have made a false confession to the police. Out of 27 variables entered into a logistic regression analysis, eight significant predictor variables were identified in the model. These were largely associated with multiple victimisation (e.g., bullying, death of a significant other, being a victim of violence) and substance abuse (i.e., having attended substance abuse treatment, use of LSD). The findings suggest that multiple exposures to unpleasant or traumatic life events are associated with the reporting of false confessions during interrogation.

Body image trends among Icelandic adolescents: a cross-sectional national study from 1997 to 2010.

The aim of this study was to evaluate trends in body image among Icelandic adolescents from 1997 to 2010. Data from five cross-sectional surveys conducted among national samples of 9th and 10th graders in Iceland using five time points (1997, 2000, 2006, 2009, and 2010) were compared to examine changes in body image. In total, 32,397 adolescents participated in the study. Body image among 14-15-year-old adolescents in Iceland improved significantly over the 13-year period. Girls reported more negative body image than boys at all time points. However, the positive change in body image from 1997 to 2010 was more pronounced for girls than boys, resulting in a narrower gap between the genders. The current results are encouraging and indicate that in an age of increased overweight and obesity, the body image of Icelandic adolescents is becoming more positive.

Sexually abusive youth: what are the background factors that distinguish them from other youth?

Abstract Juveniles are responsible for about one-fifth of all sexual offences, yet relatively little is known about the developmental pathways of their offending. The purpose of this article is to investigate the background of young sexual perpetrators within the framework of the Beech and Wards (Aggression and Violent Behaviour, 10, 31–63, 2004) etiological model of risk. The participants were 10,515 students in further education in Iceland with a mean age of 17.7 years (SD=1.8). They completed a detailed questionnaire about their background, behaviour and mental health. Sequential binomial logistic regression was used to determine the order of the predictor variables and the data were entered in four blocks (Developmental factors; Vulnerability–Historical markers; Vulnerability–Psychological markers; and Triggering events/contextual risk factors). For males, the final model shows that what best distinguishes the sexual perpetrators from their contemporaries is a history of sexual abuse, violence experienced in the home, poor sexual self-regulation, and delinquent peers. The model is similar for females, except that violence in the home was not a significant predictor, and the use of sedatives and amphetamines also contributed to the model. The findings emphasize the importance of sexual abuse, poor self-regulation, and the potential influence of peers in sexual offending.

Changes in body image and dieting among 16-19-year-old Icelandic students from 2000 to 2010

The aim of the study was to evaluate trends in body image and dieting among 16-19-year-old students in Iceland from 2000 to 2010. Data from four cross-sectional surveys conducted among Icelandic students in 26 junior colleges using four time points were compared to examine changes in body image and dieting. In total, 33,801 students with the mean age of 17.3 years participated. Body image became significantly more positive over the 10-year period for both genders. At all time points, females reported more negative body image than males and a higher proportion of dieters were females than males. There was a decrease in the frequency of dieting among females over time but an increase among males, resulting in a narrower gender gap in dieting. Further examination of these trends in body image and dieting may reveal differences in causal mechanisms behind negative body image and dieting between the genders.

Gender difference in wellbeing during school lessons among 10–12-year-old children: The importance of school subjects and student–teacher relationships

Aims: The aim of the study was to examine gender difference in self-reported wellbeing during school lessons among Icelandic 10–12-year-old boys and girls, in grades 5–7 in elementary schools. Also, to examine whether factors related to attitudes towards school subjects, student–teacher relationships and student–peer relationships mediated the associations between gender and wellbeing during school lessons. Methods: A cross-sectional anonymous survey was conducted among 88% (in total 11,387 participants) of all registered students aged 10–12 attending grades 5–7 in Iceland. Multivariate logistic regression was used to test main, mediation, and interaction effects. Results: Boys reported significantly less wellbeing during school lessons than girls. Not finding the subjects taught at school fun fully mediated the relationship between gender and self-reported wellbeing during school lessons. Furthermore, when not considering other school-related factors, finding the subjects at school to hard, not liking the teachers, not being praised by teachers, and being bullied in recess partially mediated the relationship between gender and self-reported wellbeing during school lessons. Conclusions: The results suggest that to improve boy’s wellbeing during school lessons, making school subject more appealing to boys is of importance. Furthermore, fostering teacher–student relationships and decreasing bullying of boys in recess should be emphasised.

Gender differences in co-occurrence of depressive and anger symptoms among adolescents in five Nordic countries

Aims: The aim of this study was to carry out a comparative examination on gender differences in depressive and anger symptoms and their co-occurrence, using comparative self-report survey data from 16-19-year-old students in five Nordic countries. Methods: In total, 8038 adolescents participated in the study, 4183 females (52%) and 3855 males (48%) with an average age of 17.1 years. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test for gender differences in symptoms for the sample as a whole and also for each country. Furthermore, partial bivariate correlation was carried out and followed up by ANCOVA to test for gender differences in the co-occurrence of depressive and anger symptoms in the five countries. Results: The results indicated that, on average, adolescent females reported higher levels of depressive symptoms than males in all the countries under study and higher levels of anger symptoms in four out of five countries. The relationship between depressive and anger symptoms turned out to be stronger for females than males for all the countries under study, demonstrating higher co-occurrence of depressive and anger symptoms on average among females than males. Conclusions: The findings underline the need for attending to both depressive and anger symptoms among adolescents when designing mental health interventions and treatments as co-occurrence of both types of symptoms is common, particularly among females.

An epidemiological study of ADHD and conduct disorder: does family conflict moderate the association?

PurposeTo examine the role of family conflict in the relationship between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and conduct disorder (CD).MethodsA cross-sectional national population survey was carried out among 10,838 14–16 year old students in all secondary schools in Iceland. Three latent measures, financial status, ADHD and CD, and one observed measure, family structure, were included in the study. A structural equation model was used to evaluate direct effects between ADHD and CD for four different groups; females and males, experiencing family conflict and those not experiencing family conflict.ResultsADHD was significantly and positively associated with CD for all groups. When controlling for financial status and family structure it was found that ADHD was positively and significantly associated with CD for adolescent females and males not experiencing family conflict as well as for those experiencing family conflict. The link between ADHD and CD was significantly stronger for those adolescents who had experienced family conflict compared to those who had not experienced family conflict. These results suggest that family conflict moderates the association between ADHD and CD for both girls and boys.ConclusionsThe results of this study indicate that family environment and ADHD symptoms are important when predicting CD among adolescent youth. Most notably, family conflict exacerbates the effects of ADHD symptoms on CD among both females and males.