health disorders within social networks. The researchers analyzed data from over 2 million individuals to determine if mental disorders can pass between people within the same social circles. They found that there was a clear link between individuals within social networks having similar mental disorders, especially in the case of mood, anxiety, and eating disorders.
The study focused on social network disorders, involving over 700,000 ninth-grade students from 860 schools in Finland. The participants were tracked from the end of ninth grade for an average of 11 years.
The results showed that having a higher number of classmates diagnosed with a mental disorder was linked to an increased risk of receiving a mental disorder diagnosis later in life.
According to the researchers, this connection was strongest in the first year of the study and was not influenced by various factors such as parents, school, and residential area. The association was most significant in the cases of mood, anxiety, and eating disorders.”Previous studies have shown similar findings,” explains Associate Professor Christian Hakulinen from the University of Helsinki.
Research made possible by extensive Finnish registers
Hakulinen notes that previous studies have found evidence of depressive symptoms potentially spreading from one person to another within social networks. For instance, American researchers have come across indications of this phenomenon.
Prior research has often involved individuals selecting their own social networks, which can introduce bias into the data. Hakulinen highlights that school classes are ideal social networks to study, as individuals are connected by shared experiences and interactions.”Adolescents generally have no control over who their classmates are,” said the Finnish researcher who used extensive registers to define social networks and track teenagers, adding that the study’s findings enhance our knowledge of how mental health issues develop and impact others in our social circles. However, the connection observed in the research is not necessarily causal, and the study did not explore the potential transmission of mental disorders between individuals. The researcher also pointed out that the threshold for seeking help for men may be a factor to consider.According to Hakulinen, having one or more people in your social network who have sought help for mental health issues can lower the stigma associated with seeking treatment. This normalization of diagnosis and treatment can be seen as a positive spread of mental disorders. Mental disorders have a significant impact globally, affecting individuals, society, and the economy. Hakulinen also notes that anxiety and mood symptoms have increased among young people in recent years. Previous studies indicate that roughly half of all cases of mental disorders begin by the age of 14.Disorders in adulthood typically occur before the age of 18. Hakulinen stresses the importance of early intervention and preventive measures.
“When implementing preventive measures, it’s important to consider that mental disorders can be transmitted from one adolescent to another,” according to Hakulinen.
The study included a total of 713,809 Finnish citizens born between 1985 and 1997. The adolescents were observed from the end of comprehensive school until they received their first diagnosis of a mental disorder, moved out of the country, or passed away. The follow-up was concluded at the end of 2019, with a median follow-up period.The study, funded by the European Research Council (ERC) and the Research Council of Finland, focused on the transmission of mental disorders in adolescent peer networks.
