Background to the Research

• In NI over the last decade, a relatively low-key debate has been ongoing as to what impact (if any) the ending of political violence has had on the mental health of the population in general and on young people in particular. Despite media interest, for example concerning steeply rising suicide rates among young people, particularly in certain areas of Belfast, there has been comparatively little academic research. This chapter attempts to add some empirical evidence to the debate where adolescents are concerned.
  

Research Approach

• The authors analysed data from the YLT surveys from 2004 to 2006 in an attempt to determine if adolescent mental health levels are, as the public fear, worsening over time in post-violence NI. All the surveys contained the GHQ12, a widely used measure of mental health which has also been used in adult surveys in NI.
  

Main Findings

• Data from the 2004 survey (824 completed questionnaires) provided a general indication of the overall mental health levels of the 16-year olds in the sample. Using the 'scale score' method of scoring responses to the GHQ12, 24% of the sample scored 4 or more, suggesting they were suffering enough to be considered to be 'psychologically distressed' and therefore in need of further investigation.
• More females (30%) than males (16%) fell into the psychologically distressed category. Also, more males (47%) than females (25%) said they rarely or never got stressed.
• 77% of participants responded to the question 'What makes you stressed?' Schoolwork/exams was the most frequently mentioned stressor for both males and females; 75% of participants said that they had felt pressured by schoolwork at least 'sometimes', with 26% saying this happened 'often' or 'always'.
• Young women at grammar schools were more likely to say they were 'always' or 'often' pressurised at school compared to those at secondary school; there were no differences for males in different school types. However, being pressured at school was related to levels of psychological distress in both girls and boys. More young people could be considered to be psychologically distressed among those who said they were 'always' or 'often' pressured at school, compared to those who said they felt 'sometimes', 'rarely' or 'never' pressured. Among females the rate doubled, but among males the increase was almost treble.
• Data from the 2004-2006 surveys (total of 2415 participants; response rates of 42%, 40% and 39%), specifically the mean score on the GHQ12, revealed that, over the years, there was a small but statistically significant decrease in GHQ12 scores. The yearly decline in scores applied to all who took part regardless of their gender, religion or where they lived. In all three survey years, females had higher mean scores, reflecting poorer psychological wellbeing.
  

Conclusions

• Contrary to expectations, based on the evidence from the 2004-2006 YLT surveys, there is evidence of a small but steady improvement in mental health among Northern Irish 16-year olds.
• The lack of other recent survey data on these issues makes it difficult to say whether the levels of psychological distress reported are unusually high or not. It is suggested that, as shown in earlier research, as young people leave school their mental health tends to improve, possibly indicating that psychological distress at 16 years is largely transient. This would also fit with the finding that schoolwork was the main stressor for the sample.
• The change in the political climate in NI is discussed as a potential explanation for the falls in levels of adolescent psychological distress. Indeed, young people in the YLT surveys gave answers indicating a modest but positive increase in levels of optimism about the future and about relations between Catholics and Protestants.
• Although the authors note the limitations of the relatively few samples and relatively crude statistics used, the results do suggest that future research should examine the possibility that the last years of education are a particularly stressful period for young people in NI, and that for some young people, possibly due to a combination of environmental and personality factors, this stress may be damaging their mental health. Also worthy of further research is the suggestion that, as the Northern Irish peace process beds in, this in turn may lead to improved mental health perhaps for both adults and young people.