Certain young people more prone to anxiety and depression

(Press-News.org) It has long been known that loneliness is a risk factor in the development of anxiety and depression. However, the association itself has been less well studied. This is especially true during the transition from adolescence to adulthood.

“Our research team investigated how loneliness in adolescence, both in isolation and in interaction with low resilience, affects anxiety and depression in young adulthood,” said Nayan Deepak Parlikar. She is a PhD candidate at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU’s) Department of Public Health and Nursing.

Adolescents who experience both loneliness and low resilience are at significantly greater risk of developing anxiety and depression compared with other groups.

Individuals with low resilience are less able to cope with stress, adversity and other emotional challenges compared with others.

These new findings have now been published in Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology.

Worst combination This is the second article that Parlikar has written on the risk of developing anxiety and depression as an adult. It concentrates on the long-term consequences for young people, and on the link between loneliness and low resilience.

“Adolescents who experience both loneliness and low resilience are at significantly greater risk of developing anxiety and depression compared with other groups,” said Parllikar.

The study compared groups of adolescents who reported high resilience and low levels of loneliness with groups of adolescents who reported high resilience and high levels of loneliness, and adolescents with low resilience and low loneliness.

“We found that the combination of loneliness and low resilience considerably increases the risk of developing symptoms of anxiety and depression together compared with exposure to only one of the factors,” continued Parlikar.

The results have a number of consequences.

Preventive measures become important “Health professionals working with young people should concentrate on identifying individuals with both loneliness and low resilience at an early stage. Once they have been identified, it is important to intervene quickly,” said Parlikar.

The work may include screening in schools and health services to identify young people who are at risk.

“It may also help to introduce programmes that promote social skills and build resilience. This can help to reduce the risk of developing anxiety and depression,” she added.

Professionals treating the young people can adapt cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and other therapeutic approaches to address both loneliness and low resilience in adolescents.

“Therapists should be aware that, when combined, these factors have a particularly high risk. Health professionals can receive special training in identifying people with low resilience.”

More groups needed Group therapy can help cement networks and thus reduce loneliness. Involving the family can both strengthen resilience and reduce loneliness.

With a school service that is under pressure, screening at the individual level is an expensive approach. So perhaps the best solution is to target all pupils, while still working to identify and help individuals who are particularly vulnerable or at risk.

Collaboration across sectors is important for children and young people’s mental health.

“It is important that schools, clubs and communities work together to prevent loneliness and exclusion, and to create a safe and inclusive environment. A sense of belonging has a huge impact on children and adolescents’ health and quality of life,” explained supervisor Unni Karin Moksnes.

She is a professor at the Department of Public Health and Nursing at NTNU.

“School plays a particularly important role, because it is an arena where all children and young people meet. Here, we can build communities that promote well-being, learning and good mental health.”

Initiatives to promote good mental health among children and young people offer many benefits in both the short and long term. They can help improve many people’s wellbeing and better enable them to overcome challenges. Eventually, this could lead to cuts in school dropout rates, increase participation in working life, and result in fewer cases of mental illness. In other words, it is a good investment – for individuals and society alike.

Reference: Parlikar, N., Strand, L.B., Kvaløy, K. et al. The prospective association of adolescent loneliness and low resilience with anxiety and depression in young adulthood: The HUNT study. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-025-02888-2

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