Áhrif tekjuójöfnuðar og félagsauðs á sálræna líðan táninga - verkefni lokið
Fréttatilkynning verkefnisstjóra
Meginmarkmið rannsóknarverkefnisins “Áhrif tekjuójöfnuðar og félagsauðs á andlega heilsu unglinga” var að kanna tengsl tekjuójöfnuðar og félagsauðs við kvíða og þunglyndi unglinga innan íslenskra skólahverfa yfir tímabilið 2006 til 2016.
Á grundvelli verkefnisins hafa birst tvær fræðigreinar, og eru tvær til viðbótar í ritrýni og lokafrágangi. Í heild sinni hefur verkefnið lagt til fræðilegrar þekkingar á því hvernig tekjuójöfnuður tengist einkennum kvíða og þunglyndis unglinga. Niðurstöður verkefnisins benda til þess að, þrátt fyrir að félagsauður dragi úr einkennum kvíða og þunglyndis meðal unglinga, útskýri hnignun hans ekki tengsl tekjuójöfnuðar við andlega heilsu. Niðurstöður sýndu einnig að þótt tekjuójöfnuður hefði tengsl við kvíða allra unglinga, án tillits til efnahagslegrar stöðu þeirra, var sem tekjuójöfnuður hefði einungis tengsl við þunglyndi unglinga frá fátækari heimilum. Að lokum benda niðurstöður til þess að eftir því sem dregur úr tekjuójöfnuði innan hverfa yfir tíma, dragi úr einkennum kvíða meðal unglinga um allt að 37%. Í ljósi aukinnar umræðu um versnandi geðheilsu unglinga, gæti handhöfum framkvæmdavaldsins reynst erfitt að líta fram hjá niðurstöðum þessa verkefnis þegar þeir taka stefnumiðaðar ákvarðanir um skipulag velferðar í íslensku samfélagi.
English:
The overarching aim of the research project „The effect of inequality and social capital on adolescent psychological well-being“ was to explore the relationship of income inequality and social capital within Icelandic neighborhood communities, with adolescent symptoms of anxiety and depression, from 2006 to 2016.
The project has resulted in two published papers and two manuscripts that are under review or being finalized. Taken together, the studies presented in these papers contribute to theoretical knowledge on how income inequality in neighborhood communities influence symptoms of adolescent anxiety and depression. Overall, the results show that while cognitive social capital may be reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression among adolescents, it does not explain the income inequality effect. The results also show that although great community income inequality is associated with adolescent anxiety, regardless of adolescents' economic standing, it is only related to depression among adolescents from deprived households. Finally, the results show that as income inequality decreases within neighborhood communities over time, adolescent anxiety decreases by 37%. In light of growing global concerns over rising anxiety and depression among young people, this research project provides evidence of the detrimental effect of great income inequality - which policy makers should not ignore.
Published papers:
Vilhjalmsdottir, A., Gardarsdottir, R. B., Bernburg, J. ., & Sigfusdottir, I. D. (2016). Neighborhood income inequality, social capital and emotional distress among adolescents : A population-based study. Journal of Adolescence, 51, 92–102. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2016.06.004
Vilhjalmsdottir, A., Bernburg, J. G., Gardarsdottir, R. B., & Sigfusdottir, I. D. (2018). Community income inequality and adolescent emotional problems: a population-based study. Journal of Community Psychology. http://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.21968
Forthcoming publications:
Vilhjalmsdottir, A., De Clercq, B., Gardarsdottir, R.B., Bernburg, J.G., & Sigfusdottir, I.D. Decreasing income inequality and adolescent emotional problems: a population based case study of Icelandic adolescents 2006-2016. Article manuscript under review in European Journal of Social Psychology.
Vilhjalmsdottir, A., Gardarsdottir, R.B., Bernburg, J.G., & Sigfusdottir, I.D. Socioeconomic inequalities in adolescent emotional problems 2006 – 2016: a population based time-series analysis. Article manuscript in preparation for Scandinavian Journal of Public Health.
Conference presentations:
Arndís Vilhjálmsdóttir, Ragna B. Garðarsdóttir, Jón G. Bernburg, Bart De Clercq, Inga Dóra Sigfúsdóttir. (November 2017). Tengsl tekjuójöfnuðar í skólahverfum við andlega heilsu og hegðun íslenskra unglinga (The link between school community income inequality and adolescent emotional well-being and behavior). Paper presented by Vilhjalmsdottir at Þjóðarspegill XVIII, University of Iceland, Reykjavik.
Vilhjalmsdottir, A., Bernburg, J. G., Gardarsdottir, R. B., & Sigfusdottir, I. D. (June 2017.). Community income inequality and adolescent emotional problems: a population-based study. Manuscript presented by Arndis Vilhjalmsdóttir at The 4th workshop on comparative health sociology: Comparing Health Across Societies in Ghent, Belgium.
Arndís Vilhjálmsdóttir, Ragna B. Garðarsdóttir, Jón G. Bernburg, Inga Dóra Sigfúsdóttir. (January 2017). Áhrif tekjuójöfnuðar á andlega heilsu unglinga (The effect of income inequality on adolescent mental health). Paper presented by Vilhjalmsdottir at The 18th Conference on Life- and Health Science, University of Iceland, Reykjavik
Vilhjalmsdottir, A. & Gardarsdottir, R.B., (August 2016). Neighborhood income inequality, social capital and adolescent mental health. Paper presented by Arndis Vilhjalmsdottir at The 28th Conference of the Nordic Sociological Association. Helsinki. The Nordic Sociological Association.
Arndís Vilhjálmsdóttir og Ragna Benedikta Garðarsdóttir (April, 2016). Áhrif tekjuójafnaðar á félagsauð og andlega heilsu unglinga. Paper presented by Arndis Vilhjalmsdottir at Sálfræðiþingið [Annual psychology convention]. Sálfræðingafélag Íslands, Reykjavík
Arndís Vilhjálmsdóttir, Ragna B. Garðarsdóttir, Jón G. Bernburg, Inga Dóra Sigfúsdóttir. (October 2015). Áhrif tekjuójöfnuðar á félagsauð og andlega heilsu unglinga. Paper presented by Vilhjalmsdottir at Þjóðarspegill XVII, University of Iceland, Reykjavik.
Invited presentations:
Vilhjalmsdottir, A., (2017). Áhrif tekjuójöfnuðar á geðheilsu unglinga( e. Income inequality and adolescent mental health). Presentation at Samfylkingarfélagið í Reykjavik in May 2017. Reykjavik.
Vilhjalmsdottir, A., (2016). Áhrif tekjuójöfnuðar á geðheilsu unglinga( e. Income inequality and adolescent mental health). Presentation at Reykjavik City Hall in September 2016. Reykjavik.
Vilhjalmsdottir, A. (2016) Áhrif tekjuójöfnuðar á geðheilsu unglinga (e. Income inequality and adolescent mental health). Staðreyndir í stuttu málstofa (e. Condensed facts workshop). Presentation at Reykjavik University in June 2016. Reykjavik
Heiti verkefnis: Áhrif tekjuójöfnuðar og félagsauðs á sálræna líðan táninga /
The effect of income inequality and social capital on adolescent psychological well-being
Verkefnisstjóri: Ragna Benedikta Garðarsdóttir, Háskóla Íslands
Tegund styrks: Verkefnisstyrkur
Styrktímabil: 2015-2016
Fjárhæð styrks: 10,664 millj. kr. alls
Tilvísunarnúmer Rannís: 152601
