Sense of coherence predicts adolescent mental health

Abstract

Background: Strong sense of coherence (SOC) has been shown to predict good mental health among adults whereas its predictive value in adolescence is unclear. This life-course oriented prospective study explores whether SOC predicts mental health in a three-year follow-up.

Methods: The data is part of the ongoing 'Finnish Family Competence Study' launched in 1986 in southwestern Finland (baseline n = 1287). The outcome variable was adolescent's mental health at 18 years of age, measured on the Development and Well-Being Assessment (DAWBA) scale. The main predictor was Antonovsky's SOC score (1987) measured at the age of 15. A total of 498 adolescents were included in the present analyses. Poisson regression was used by univariate and multivariable models using the parents' age and socioeconomic status and adolescents' gender as covariates.

Results: Multivariable analysis showed that a one-unit increase in SOC decreased the relative risk of a DAWBA-based diagnosis by 4 % (RR [95% CI] 0.96 [0.94-0.98], p < 0.001).

Limitations: Typical of very long follow-up, as in our study of nearly two decades, a substantial proportion of the original population-based cohort was lost to follow-up weakening the representability of our cohort.

Conclusions: Sense of coherence is a useful and clinically sensitive tool to predict mental health in adolescence. The easily administered, coping-oriented SOC questionnaire is an appropriate instrument in screening for adolescents who would benefit from supportive measures to strengthen their mental well-being.

Keywords: Adolescents; Development and well-being assessment scale; Follow-up study; Mental health; Sense of coherence.