Student mental health: Measurement and heterogeneity
How do we identify students who are struggling if they don't show obvious signs of mental ill-health? Mental health is becoming one of the most pressing challenges facing schools today. Yet traditional approaches often focus on symptoms of anxiety, depression, or psychological distress, overlooking an equally important dimension: students' sense of well-being.
A broader understanding of student mental health
This project applies the dual-factor model from clinical psychology, recognizing that mental health consists of both well-being and psychological distress—and that the two do not always go hand in hand.
Using repeated surveys of approximately 63,000 Grade 9 students in Stockholm between 2006 and 2024, the researchers identify distinct mental health profiles that cannot be detected using symptom-based measures alone. Some students report low well-being despite showing few signs of psychological distress, making them largely invisible to conventional screening methods.
The project also examines mental health at the school level, asking whether some schools consistently have healthier—or more vulnerable—student populations than others.
Better measurement for better interventions
The findings show that increased municipal investment in school health services reduces the likelihood of the most severe mental health problems. However, a particularly vulnerable group of students with low well-being appears largely unaffected by increased resources alone.
These results highlight the need for more nuanced approaches to student mental health. By combining psychological measurement with educational policy and public health research, the project provides new insights that can help schools identify students earlier, design more targeted interventions, and better support young people's well-being.
Funding: Region Stockholm
Research team