To Örebro University

Through a historical lens, we can comprehend the evolving perceptions of children's mental health over the past four decades. This exploration delves into how different health issues concerning children and young people are spotlighted at varying times, shedding light on the dynamic nature of societal perspectives.

Concerns about mental health in children and youth have surged since the 1990s across Western nations. Tracking the incidence of mental health issues over time proves challenging due to changing definitions, categorizations, and diagnostic criteria. Despite these challenges, studying temporal trends remains crucial. The conceptualizations of mental illness in this demographic mirror societal thoughts, patterns, and beliefs, providing insights into their respective eras.

This study employs discourse analysis, examining discussions in Swedish medical literature from 1970 to the present. Contextualized within the evolving conditions of the late 20th-century Swedish welfare state, the research explores changes in societal dynamics affecting schools, school health care, child and youth health care, and the broader socio-economic landscape. The investigation focuses on evolving explanations for mental illness, shifts in issues raised, and media representations of girls' and boys' mental health.

The findings reveal a consistent narrative depicting a continuous rise in mental illness and psychosocial problems, with higher rates of psychosomatic issues among girls. The discourse consistently portrays girls internalizing their ill health, while boys externalize psychosomatic symptoms through actions such as drinking or criminal behavior. Over time, explanations for the surge in mental health issues evolve—from biological gender differences in the 1970s to a more nuanced understanding in subsequent decades. The target demographic broadens from homogeneous groups in the 1970s to a heterogeneous one in later years, reflecting diverse health problems, symptoms, and needs. Gender awareness increases, with a notable shift in attention toward lifestyle factors influencing psychosocial problems and mental health, including stress, sedentary behavior, eating habits, and leisure activities like television and computer gaming.