Objectives This study aimed to investigate the associations of adolescents’ self-reported family financial stress, registry-based parental household income and parental education with adolescent anxiety and depression symptoms. Additionally, we adjust these associations for parental anxiety and depression symptoms and examine potential secular changes in these associations.
Design Family linkage study, using two cross-sectional population-based health studies, the Young-HUNT study and the HUNT study. Registry-based data from Statistics Norway (SSB).
Participants Adolescent (aged 13–19 years) participating in The Young-HUNT3 Survey (2006–2008, n=8199) and The Young-HUNT4 Survey (2017–2019, n=8066) and their parents participating in The HUNT3 Survey (2006–2008, n=50 800) and the HUNT4 Survey (2017–2019, n=56 042). Measurements Adolescent anxiety and depression symptoms were assessed by a short version of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL), the five-item HSCL-5.
Self-reported family financial stress was measured using a single-item question. Parental anxiety and depression were assessed by the 14-item Hospital Anxiety and Depression Rating Scale (total HADS score).
Parental income and parental education were obtained from SSB. We use a multilevel mixed-effects generalised linear model.
BMJ Open published a clinical update in Research Highlights on 10 Jun 2026.
The item focuses on Associations of perceived family economy, registry-based parental education and income with adolescent psychological distress: the Young-HUNT cross-sectional studies 2006-2008 and 2017-2019.
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