The protective effects of Swedish COVID-19 pandemic strategies on adolescents' mental health: a longitudinal cohort study.

AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate a cohort of Swedish eighth graders' mental health and experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Participants were 157 eighth graders recruited in junior high schools during 2020 who completed a depression questionnaire and a survey about their psychosocial health in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, alongside a follow-up assessment in 2021. Analyses were conducted using latent change score and cross-lagged models. RESULTS: Participants' depressive symptoms did not substantially increase during the COVID-19 pandemic. The level of depressive symptoms in 2020 was significantly associated with participants' perceptions of the pandemic in 2020 and spring 2021. Participants with higher depression scores reported worse experiences of the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: The stable level of depressive symptoms among this cohort of eighth graders suggested that keeping schools open during a nationwide lockdown could mitigate some mental health consequences. Adolescents in this study with higher self-assessed depressive symptoms were more likely to experience increased depression after 6 months and had worse experiences during the pandemic than others. This suggests that the pandemic may not immediately affect mental well-being, but those at risk may be affected over time.

Is the Thoughts and Health programme feasible in the context of Swedish schools? A quasi-experimental controlled trial study protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Clinical depression is a substantial problem among adolescents, increasing significantly at about age 15 years. It causes impairment in social, academic and familial relationships, as well as ongoing cognitive and emotional difficulties for the individual. A study in Iceland demonstrated that a cognitive-behavioural, developmentally based intervention programme, 'Thoughts and Health', prevented initial episodes of depression and/or dysthymia (DYS) (major depressive disorder/DYS) in adolescents for up to 12 months following completion of the programme. We would like to test the feasibility of implementing the Icelandic method in a Swedish context and to evaluate the long-term effects of such a programme. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A quasi-experimental controlled design, combined with qualitative and quantitative methods, will be used to address the research questions.In this study, 617 children aged ~14 years will be screened for depression, and those "at risk" for development of clinical depression will be offered a 12 week course, 'Thoughts and Health'. This course aims to prevent first depression in adolescents. A comparable group of children will function as controls.Depending on the type of variable, baseline comparisons between the two groups of relevant initial measures will be evaluated with t-tests or χ2 analyses. The effects of the programme on the development of clinical levels of depression will be evaluated using the follow-up data of 6, 12 and 18 months. Index parental depression at baseline will be tested as a moderator in the evaluation of the effects of the prevention programme. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study is approved by the Swedish Ethical Review Board (reference number 2019-03347) in Gothenburg.We plan to disseminate the knowledge gained from this study by publishing our results in peer-reviewed scientific journals and other scholarly outlets. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04128644; Pre-results.

[Early professional contact supports professional development of medical students. EPC--a new course in medical education in Gothenburg]. / Tidig yrkeskontakt stärker studenternas professionella utveckling. TYK--en ny kurs i läkarutbildningen i Göteborg.

Early professional contact (EPC) is a new course for medical students during the first two years of the medical curriculum in the Sahlgrenska Academy at Göteborg University. Small groups with four students and one tutor meet one day every month. The students participate in the clinical work together with the physician and his/her staff and practise communication with and examination of patients. In this article we describe the structure, the content, the basic knowledge and values of the course and the learning methods. We also discuss the results from a Course Experience Questionnaire and two focus groups. The students got insights into medical profession and health care and inspiration for future medical profession and confidence with patients. The physicians as tutors in clinical practice have an important role in supporting the medical students to build up their professional confidence by seeing, listening to and acknowledging them. EPC in the biomedical curriculum can help students balance and synthesize different knowledge, skills and attitudes.