Mental well-being of young people in Scotland: 1994-2006

Mental well-being of young people is affected by many aspects of their lives including school experience (HBSC Briefing Paper 13, 2007), friendships and peer relations (Settertobulte and Gaspar de Matos, 2004), as well as family life and family relationships (HBSC Briefing papers 11 & 12, 2007). Adolescence can be a time of emotional distress for a number of young people, brought on by biological and psychological changes occurring through puberty, in conjunction with external changes such as school transitions, changing peer and friendship networks and changes in family structure and relationships. Parental separation and re-partnering often result in further upheavals in the home environment such as parent-child conflict, economic hardship and family disorganisation. Good emotional and physical health enables young people to deal with these challenges and eases the transition through adolescence (Petersen et al, 1997). Promoting young people’s health can therefore have long-term benefits for individuals and societies.