Cent Eur J Public Health 2021, 29(4):271-278 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a6717

Time trends in adolescent mental wellbeing in the Czech Republic between 2002 and 2018: gender, age and socioeconomic differences

Alina Cosma1, 3, András Költő2, 3, Petr Badura4, Petr Winkler5, Michal Kalman4
1 Sts Cyril and Methodius Faculty of Theology, Olomouc University Social Health Institute, Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
2 Health Promotion Research Centre, School of Health Sciences, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
3 Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, VSB - Technical University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
4 Faculty of Physical Culture, Institute of Active Lifestyle, Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
5 Department of Social Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health, Prague, Czech Republic

Objectives: Recent literature indicates a decline over time in adolescent mental wellbeing but results are inconsistent and rely mainly on data from Western societies. This study investigates time trends in adolescent mental wellbeing (psychological and somatic complaints, life satisfaction) among Czech adolescents and explores the moderating role of gender, age and socioeconomic status.

Methods: Nationally representative data from 29,376 Czech adolescents (50.8% girls, mean age = 13.43; SD = 1.65) across five Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) surveys (2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018) were used. Hierarchical regression models estimated national trends in adolescent mental wellbeing and established the moderating role of gender, age and socioeconomic status.

Results: From 2002 to 2018, an increase in the psychological complaints was observed. Life satisfaction decreased over time up to 2014 only, whereas somatic symptoms increased until 2010, followed by a decline in 2014 and 2018. Girls, older adolescents and those from low family affluence reported poorer mental wellbeing. Gender gap increased over time for psychological complaints and life satisfaction. Socioeconomic inequalities gap remained stable over the investigated timeframe.

Conclusions: Our findings do not provide evidence for substantial temporal changes in mental wellbeing among adolescents in the Czech Republic. Yet, the increase in psychological complaints has been consistent which is an indicator of a small decline over time in adolescent mental wellbeing. Furthermore, the gender gap in mental wellbeing increased over time, whereas the age and socioeconomic differences remained relatively stable. This calls for the attention of public health professionals and policy makers from the Czech Republic.

Keywords: adolescence, mental health, mental wellbeing, wellbeing, gender, trends, age, socioeconomic status, HBSC

Received: January 19, 2021; Revised: November 15, 2021; Accepted: November 15, 2021; Published: December 31, 2021  Show citation

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Cosma A, Költő A, Badura P, Winkler P, Kalman M. Time trends in adolescent mental wellbeing in the Czech Republic between 2002 and 2018: gender, age and socioeconomic differences. Cent Eur J Public Health. 2021;29(4):271-278. doi: 10.21101/cejph.a6717. PubMed PMID: 35026065.
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