Resilience, lifestyle and symptoms of anxiety and depression in adolescence: the Young-HUNT study

This study investigated the symptoms of anxiety and depression in adolescence, their associations with lifestyle and resilience
and the possibility that resilience factors can attenuate the associations between unhealthy lifestyle and symptoms of anxiety
and depression.

Adolescents (n = 7,639) aged 13–18 years completed a questionnaire regarding lifestyle and health. Symptoms of anxiety and depression were
measured by the SCL-5, a five-item shortened version of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist. Resilience factors included questions
on friends and family relations and two sub-scales of the Resilience Scale for Adolescents; Family cohesion and Social competence.

Of the total population, 13 % reported symptoms of anxiety and depression. Resilience characteristics were associated with
lower symptom levels (ORs ranging from 0.2 to 0.6), and substance use and infrequent physical activity with higher symptom
levels (ORs ranging from 2.1 to 4.0). The associations with substance use were strengthened by social competence, but attenuated
by family cohesion. The association with physical activity was attenuated by both social competence and family cohesion.

Symptoms of anxiety and depression were frequent in adolescents and were associated with unhealthy lifestyle factors as substance
use and low physical activity. Resilience characteristics seemed to protect against symptoms and markedly influenced the associations
between lifestyle factors and symptoms of anxiety and depression. The importance of family and other supportive relationships
should be emphasized in treatment and prevention of anxiety and depression in adolescence.