M. Scientific session: Social inequalities in adolescent mental health: Insights from the LONGTRENDS project

Abstract Many children, adolescents and young adults develop mental health problems, and the proportion at risk is higher among those who grow up in low-income families or whose parents have lower education. Such social inequalities in mental health manifest throughout the life course and combatting them requires concerted efforts. In this workshop we present and discuss recent research from the project LONGTRENDS: Social inequalities in adolescent mental health in a life course perspective, focusing on how aspects of social support, family structure, and major life events and transitions play a role in relation to social inequalities in mental health in an individual developmental perspective, how we best can measure social inequalities among adolescents, and what patterns of social inequalities in adolescent mental health are found across time at societal level. The project combines data from four separate studies of Norwegian youth and their parents, conducted during the period from 1980-2020. The studies allow us to follow the participants’ development from childhood and adolescence into higher education and working life and examine how social backgrounds are linked to mental health in different developmental phases during the study period. The aim of this workshop is to spark discussions on various aspects of social inequalities in mental health, with a particular focus on the adolescent and young adulthood period. The added value of the workshop is that it, based on recent research, facilitates a space for exchange of ideas for future avenues in research and practice to address social inequalities in mental health in various periods of life. The start of the workshop will introduce the overall topic and objective of the workshop. In this first section, the chairperson will engage with the audience through a question around the workshop topic. The chairperson will also present one or two preplanned questions to the participants to dwell on during the presentations to facilitate discussion. After each presentation there will be some time to discuss the particular topic of the presentation, and after the final presentation there will be a more general discussion focusing on the state of knowledge and what is needed in future research and practice to further understand and mitigate social inequality in mental health in a life course perspective. Key messages • The workshop will present recent research from the LONGTRENDS project on various aspects of how social inequality plays out related to mental health and wellbeing from adolescence to young adulthood. • The workshop will facilitate a space for exchange of ideas for future avenues in research and practice to address social inequality in mental health, with emphasis on adolescence.