No abstract

Mental health problems among adolescents and young adults are increasing worldwide together with loneliness, which is considered a global public health problem. The aim of this study was to explore loneliness through adolescents' and young adults' own descriptions and experiences. The research questions were: (1) How do adolescents and young adults describe and experience loneliness?, (2) What types of loneliness do adolescents and young adults describe? Data were collected through interviews with fifteen Swedish-speaking Finns aged 17-30. Content analysis was used for data analysis. Loneliness was linked to earlier negative experiences, mental illness or physical disorders, self-centred society, social norms and social media. Three different types of loneliness were identified: social loneliness, emotional loneliness and existential loneliness. It is important that adults and professionals are able to identify, interpret and understand signs that adolescents and young adults are experiencing negative feelings, which may indicate underlying loneliness.

The aim of this article is to investigate patterns and drivers of political participation of young people in Finland by using data from the Ostrobothnian Youth survey, a web-based survey conducted in 2010–11 among 1674 ninth-graders in the West-Finnish region of Ostrobothnia. Using the ‘resource model’ of civic voluntarism as a theoretical framework, the article addresses two research questions: (i) what forms of political participation do ninth-graders principally participate in, and (ii) what are the main drivers of this participation? The results show higher levels of extracurricular political participation in comparison to representational and non-representational political participation. The foremost explanations of political participation were to be found in demographic variables, such as gender and language, but also in psychosocial and political resources. The findings thus offer support for the ‘resource model’, but also suggest that the association between resources and political participation is conditioned by the type of participation.

No abstract

The aim of caring for emerging adults is to alleviate suffering and support their health, especially for those whose lifeworld seems to be challenging and may lead to health issues. This study illuminates the meaning of being a young adult. A phenomenological hermeneutical method was used. The essential meaning of being an emerging adult is having freedom and independence, but also being a part of a network of family of origin and friends. For emerging adults becoming in health, having both freedom and responsibility when managing life is essential.