Background: Psychosomatic complaints are reported by high shares of adolescents in Sweden and elsewhere. Yet, little is known about to the extent to which the frequency, number, and persistence of such complaints in adolescence are associated with subsequent mental health problems. The aim of this study was to examine how the frequency, number, and persistence of psychosomatic complaints in middle and late adolescence are asso-ciated with depression and anxiety symptoms in young adulthood. Methods: A Swedish national cohort study of adolescents who were surveyed in 2017 (t1; age 15-16), in 2019 (t2; age 17-18) and in 2022 (t3; age 20-21 years) was used. Psychosomatic complaints were measured by questions on stomach ache, headache and difficulties falling asleep at t1 and t2. Depression and anxiety symptoms were measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4) at t3. Multivariable binary logistic regression analyses stratified by gender were based on data from t1, t2 and t3 (n = 2779). Results: The frequency, number, and persistence of psychosomatic complaints during adolescence were associ-ated with symptoms of depression and anxiety in young adulthood. Both earlier (at t1 only) and more recent (at t2 only) complaints were linked to subsequent depression and anxiety symptoms, while persistent (at both t1 and t2) psychosomatic complaints showed stronger associations in girls. Conclusions: Psychosomatic complaints in adolescence were associated with depression and anxiety symptoms in young adulthood. This was true for the frequency, number, and persistence of psychosomatic complaints. Among girls, those who reported persistent psychosomatic complaints from middle to late adolescence had the highest likelihood of reporting subsequent depression and anxiety symptoms. Taken together, the results indicate that psychosomatic complaints during adolescence can translate into later depression and anxiety symptoms. Furthermore, repeated measurements of psychosomatic complaints can be used to identify the most vulnerable group.

Objectives: Parent-adolescent relationships play a crucial role in youth development. This study examines the associations between parenting practices (parental support, knowledge, and rule-setting) and psychosomatic complaints across middle and late adolescence.Methods: The study utilised data from a Swedish national cohort (n = 3,678). Participants completed self-report questionnaires in 2017 (similar to 15-16 years) and again in 2019 (similar to 17-18 years).Results: Parental support exhibited the strongest and most consistent inverse cross-sectional associations with psychosomatic complaints during both middle and late adolescence. Furthermore, increases in parental support and parental knowledge were associated with decreases in adolescent psychosomatic complaints. However, parental support and knowledge at age 15-16 were not prospectively associated with psychosomatic complaints at age 17-18.Conclusion: These findings underscore the importance of ongoing parental engagement, particularly in terms of providing constant support, throughout middle and late adolescence.

Background  Loneliness and belonging refer to social connectedness and are associated with young people’s health; however, the relationship between these constructs and their impact on health is still being discussed. A dual continuum model of belonging and loneliness has been suggested, consisting of four groups depending on the state of loneliness and belonging: socially fulfilled (low loneliness, high belonging), socially indifferent (low loneliness, low belonging), socially searching (high loneliness, high belonging), and socially distressed (high loneliness, low belonging). The aim of this study is to examine loneliness and belonging in a Swedish sample of 17–18-years-olds who were followed over 3 years, and the associations that these aspects share with young people’s psychosomatic complaints during these ages.

Methods  Swedish cohort data collected among late adolescents (age 17–18 in 2019) who were followed up in young adulthood (age 20–21 in 2022) (n = 2684) was used to examine the associations between loneliness, belonging, and psychosomatic complaints. Loneliness and belonging were measured by single items and the cross-combinations of these. Three psychosomatic complaints were assessed: stomach ache, headache, and difficulties falling asleep, and a summary index was calculated.

Results  Linear regression analyses showed that loneliness was positively and belonging was negatively cross-sectionally associated with psychosomatic complaints. The socially fulfilled group reported fewer psychosomatic complaints compared to all other groups, while the socially distressed group reported the highest level of psychosomatic complaints. Additional adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics barely affected the estimates. The prospective analysis supported these patterns; however, after adjustment for earlier psychosomatic complaints, the only statistically significant difference in subsequent psychosomatic complaints was found between the socially fulfilled and the socially distressed groups.

Conclusions  Loneliness and belonging (separately and the cross-combinations of these) were cross-sectionally associated with psychosomatic complaints in late adolescence and in young adulthood. Prospectively, only the most vulnerable group in the dual continuum model, the socially distressed group, experienced more psychosomatic complaints than the socially fulfilled group, indicating a temporal relationship. Knowledge about the more nuanced links may be useful for developing specific public health recommendations and interventions for youth, targeting the most vulnerable groups.

Loneliness is an important public health concern, especially among young people experiencing multiple social transitions. Although research on loneliness and mental health is growing, few studies have focused on emerging adulthood, and most rely on cross-sectional designs. This study examined the association between loneliness and subsequent depression and anxiety, both as clinical diagnoses and as self-reported symptoms, among emerging adults. Data was obtained from Futura01, a Swedish national cohort study that tracks individuals born in 2001 and includes both survey data and linked register information. The study population included 3828 participants for the analysis of depression and anxiety diagnoses (based on ICD-codes in the Swedish National Patient Register), and 2747 participants for the analysis of self-reported depression and anxiety symptoms (based on the Patient Health Questionnaire-4). Logistic regression models were employed to analyse the associations. Loneliness at age 18 was associated with both depression and anxiety diagnoses at ages 19-20 and self-reported depression and anxiety symptoms at age 21, even after the adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics and prior depression and anxiety diagnoses. These findings indicate that loneliness may contribute to later mental health challenges in emerging adults, highlighting the importance of addressing loneliness during this developmental period.