Mental health and school belonging among immigrant-background adolescents in Finland

Background

Immigrant-background adolescents in high-income welfare states may face mental health risks, yet the role of school belonging in these patterns remains insufficiently understood. We examined how loneliness, school belonging, and depressive symptoms differ across immigrant-background subgroups in Finland, and whether school belonging is associated with more favourable mental health.

Methods

Data came from the 2019 Finnish School Health Promotion Study, a large population-based school survey of over 100,000 adolescents in grades 8 and 9. Immigrant background was classified into four categories: Finnish-background, mixed-parentage, second-generation immigrant, and first-generation immigrant. Loneliness, school belonging, and depressive symptoms were assessed with validated items. Group comparisons examined differences across the four subgroups, and regression models tested associations of school belonging with loneliness and depressive symptoms, adjusting for gender, grade, family economic situation, and parental education.

Results

Less favourable patterns in loneliness and depressive symptoms were most evident among first-generation immigrant adolescents compared with Finnish-background peers, while patterns among second-generation and mixed-parentage adolescents were more heterogeneous. School belonging tended to be lower among first-generation adolescents. Across all subgroups, stronger school belonging was consistently associated with lower loneliness and lower depressive symptoms. This association was observed across subgroups, suggesting that school-based relational resources are broadly relevant in diverse school populations.

Conclusions

Mental health disadvantage among immigrant-background adolescents appears most pronounced among first-generation youth, while school belonging is consistently associated with better mental health. Strengthening school-based relational resources may be an equity-relevant strategy in diverse school populations.

Key messages

• First-generation immigrant adolescents showed the least favourable mental health pattern, with higher loneliness and depressive symptoms.

• School belonging was consistently associated with better mental health across immigrant-background subgroups, supporting school-based relational resources as an equity strategy.