Stubbing Jessica, Gibson Kerry, Bardsley Anne, Gluckman Peter
Koi Tū: The Centre for Informed Futures, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
School of Psychology, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
BMC Public Health. 2025 May 5;25(1):1648. doi: 10.1186/s12889-025-22618-2.
Globally, youth mental health has been in decline since the beginning of the 21st century. While much has been written about the reasons for this, we have little understanding of young people's perspectives. A rich understanding of the issues young people identify as impacting their mental health is essential for developing effective interventions. This study aimed to explore what young people from Aotearoa, New Zealand believe impacts their mental health, both positively and negatively, with a focus on social determinants.
176 young people (16-25-year-olds, mean age 17) participated in one of 19 workshops held in 2023. Our methodology was informed by participatory research methods and developed in consultation with young people who served as advisors. Workshops were held across rural and urban areas of two regions of New Zealand. Recordings were transcribed, combined with survey responses, and analysed through Reflexive Thematic Analysis.
Four themes were identified which young people perceived as impacting their wellbeing: The world we live in, the pressures we experience, the connections we need, and finding our path. All factors identified as impacting on their mental health, both positive and negative, were 'amplified' by social media.
Our findings highlight the intersecting issues of systemic social determinants of wellbeing and their complex relationship with an evolving digital landscape. Effectively addressing rising rates of mental health challenges is likely to hinge on both population level action to address social determinants and targeted promotion of strategies to support young people to navigate the increasing complexity of modern life.
在全球范围内，自21世纪初以来，青少年心理健康状况一直在下降。尽管关于这一现象的原因已有诸多著述，但我们对年轻人的观点却知之甚少。深入了解年轻人认为会影响其心理健康的问题，对于制定有效的干预措施至关重要。本研究旨在探讨新西兰奥特亚罗瓦的年轻人认为对其心理健康产生积极和消极影响的因素，重点关注社会决定因素。
176名年轻人（16 - 25岁，平均年龄17岁）参加了2023年举办的19场研讨会中的一场。我们的方法借鉴了参与式研究方法，并与担任顾问的年轻人协商制定。研讨会在新西兰两个地区的农村和城市地区举行。对录音进行了转录，并与调查回复相结合，通过反思性主题分析进行分析。
确定了四个年轻人认为会影响其幸福感的主题：我们生活的世界、我们经历的压力、我们需要的联系以及找到我们的道路。所有被认为对其心理健康有影响的因素，无论是积极的还是消极的，都被社交媒体“放大”了。
我们的研究结果凸显了幸福感的系统性社会决定因素的交叉问题，以及它们与不断演变的数字环境的复杂关系。有效应对不断上升的心理健康挑战率，可能既取决于在人口层面采取行动解决社会决定因素，也取决于有针对性地推广支持年轻人应对现代生活日益复杂状况的策略。
